Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ьjь
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This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence. |
Proto-Slavic
Alternative forms
- *-jь (functionally)
Etymology 1
Extending ending of archaic i-stem adjectives, effectively equivalent to Proto-Indo-European *-is + *-ós. In Late Common Slavic, the accent was retracted from the ending on the preceding syllable (known as Ivšić's law). A similar effect occurred already during Balto-Slavic when an acute syllable attracted the accent from the ending, e.g. in Proto-Slavic *jьnьjь (“frost”) from Proto-Indo-European *h₁iH-n̥-yós (compare Lithuanian ýnis (“frost”)).
Old Church Slavonic preserved a few true i-stem adjectives, however, they were indeclinable for gender, case or number: e.g. Old Church Slavonic исплънь (isplŭnĭ, “full of”), свободь (svobodĭ, “free”), различь (različĭ, “different”), ꙋдобь (udobĭ, “comfortable, easy”), обиль (obilĭ, “abundant”). In parallel to these forms, there were declinable derivatives of theirs with o-stem declension: плънъ (plŭnŭ), свободьнъ (svobodĭnŭ), различьнъ (različĭnŭ), ꙋдобьнъ (udobĭnŭ), обильнъ (obilĭnŭ).
All other i-stem adjectives were extended with secondary suffixes such as *-ьnъ, *-ьskъ, or *-ikъ by historical times. Nonetheless, in Old Church Slavonic, the comparative and superlative form of these adjectives was still formed from the earlier i-stem, e.g. *lišьnъ (“deprive of, redundant”) : *lišijь (“devoid, more redundant”) (instead of the later *lišьňьjь). For comparison, consider the o-stem *lixъ (“superfluous”) : *lišьjь (“more superfluous”).
Cognate with Latin third declension Latin -is, Germanic i-stem declension Proto-Germanic *-iz, and Greek third ι-stem declension.
Suffix
*-ьjь
- From titural nouns, forming adjectives
- From animal or plant nouns, forming adjectives denoting pertainment to the respective animal
- From collective nouns, forming expressive adjectives denoting excess of something
Declension
| singular | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *-ьjь | *-ьja | *-ьje |
| genitive | *-ьja | *-ьję̇ | *-ьja |
| dative | *-ьju | *-ьji | *-ьju |
| accusative | *-ьjь | *-ьjǫ | *-ьje |
| instrumental | *-ьjemь | *-ьjejǫ | *-ьjemь |
| locative | *-ьji | *-ьji | *-ьji |
| vocative | *-ьju | *-ьje | *-ьje |
| dual | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | *-ьja | *-ьji | *-ьji |
| genitive | *-ьju | *-ьju | *-ьju |
| dative | *-ьjema | *-ьjama | *-ьjema |
| accusative | *-ьja | *-ьji | *-ьji |
| instrumental | *-ьjema | *-ьjama | *-ьjema |
| locative | *-ьju | *-ьju | *-ьju |
| vocative | *-ьja | *-ьji | *-ьji |
| plural | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | *-ьji | *-ьję̇ | *-ьja |
| genitive | *-ьjь | *-ьjь | *-ьjь |
| dative | *-ьjemъ | *-ьjamъ | *-ьjemъ |
| accusative | *-ьję̇ | *-ьję̇ | *-ьja |
| instrumental | *-ьji | *-ьjami | *-ьji |
| locative | *-ьjixъ | *-ьjaxъ | *-ьjixъ |
| vocative | *-ьji | *-ьję̇ | *-ьja |
| singular | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *-ьjьjь | *-ьjaja | *-ьjeje |
| genitive | *-ьjajego | *-ьję̇ję̇ | *-ьjajego |
| dative | *-ьjujemu | *-ьjiji | *-ьjujemu |
| accusative | *-ьjьjь | *-ьjǫjǫ | *-ьjeje |
| instrumental | *-ьjijimь | *-ьjǫjǫ | *-ьjijimь |
| locative | *-ьjijemь | *-ьjiji | *-ьjijemь |
| vocative | *-ьjьjь | *-ьjaja | *-ьjeje |
| dual | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | *-ьjaja | *-ьjiji | *-ьjiji |
| genitive | *-ьjuju | *-ьjuju | *-ьjuju |
| dative | *-ьjijima | *-ьjijima | *-ьjijima |
| accusative | *-ьjaja | *-ьjiji | *-ьjiji |
| instrumental | *-ьjijima | *-ьjijima | *-ьjijima |
| locative | *-ьjuju | *-ьjuju | *-ьjuju |
| vocative | *-ьjaja | *-ьjiji | *-ьjiji |
| plural | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | *-ьjiji | *-ьję̇ję̇ | *-ьjaja |
| genitive | *-ьjьjixъ | *-ьjьjixъ | *-ьjьjixъ |
| dative | *-ьjijimъ | *-ьjijimъ | *-ьjijimъ |
| accusative | *-ьję̇ję̇ | *-ьję̇ję̇ | *-ьjaja |
| instrumental | *-ьjijimi | *-ьjijimi | *-ьjijimi |
| locative | *-ьjijixъ | *-ьjijixъ | *-ьjijixъ |
| vocative | *-ьjiji | *-ьję̇ję̇ | *-ьjaja |
Descendants
- East Slavic:
- South Slavic:
- West Slavic:
Further reading
- Radmilo Marojević (1989) “К реконструкции праславянской системы посессивных категорий и посессивных производных”, in Этимология 1986‒1987, Moscow, page 121
- Radmilo Marojević (1985) “Заметки по историческому словообразованию. 3. О праславянском суф. -ьjь и прилагательном božьjь”, in Этимология 1983, Moscow, page 82
- Antoine Meillet (1951) Общеславянский язык, Moscow, page 286
Etymology 2
From o-stems or i-stems *-ъ, *-ь + *-jь. Cognate with Ancient Greek -εῖος (-eîos), Latin -eus.
Suffix
*-ьjь
- Denomial, from i-stem nouns forms emphatic nouns denoting bearers of a property:
- Denomial, from o-stem nouns (or adjectives) forms nouns denoting bearers of a property:
Declension
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *-ьjь | *-ьja | *-ьji |
| genitive | *-ьja | *-ьju | *-ьjь |
| dative | *-ьju | *-ьjema | *-ьjemъ |
| accusative | *-ьjь | *-ьja | *-ьję̇ |
| instrumental | *-ьjьmь, *-ьjemь* | *-ьjema | *-ьji |
| locative | *-ьji | *-ьju | *-ьjixъ |
| vocative | *-ьju | *-ьja | *-ьji |
* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.
Derived terms
- *-ьje n (noun-forming, usually denoting manner or location as well as the standard ending for deverbial action nouns)
- *-ьja f (noun-forming, denoting collectiveness)
Descendants
- East Slavic:
- Belarusian:
- Russian: -ей (-ej)
- Ukrainian:
- South Slavic:
- West Slavic:
- Czech:
- Slovak:
- Sorbian:
- Upper Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian:
References
- ^ Duridinov et al. (1991) Граматика на старобългарския език (in Bulgarian) by Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, p. 202