Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/kolme

This Proto-Uralic 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.

One of the few words found in all languages of the traditional Finno-Ugric group, but absent from Samoyedic (contrast Proto-Samoyedic *nakur).

The Hungarian and Mansi forms point to *kormɜ. Kulonen (2002) and Janhunen (2009) suggest that this may be more original than the forms pointing to *-lm- (especially given that original Proto-Uralic *-lm-, for example in *śilmä, does not otherwise behave like in this lexeme); according to Kulonen, these could result from analogy with *neljä (“four”).

*kolme

1. three

From *kormɜ:

• Ugric:
  • Hungarian: három
  • Mansi:
    • Northern Mansi: хӯрум (hūrum)

From *kolme:

• Ugric:
  • Khanty:
    • Eastern Khanty: ӄөԓәм (ḳøłəm) (Surgut)
    • Northern Khanty: хөԓәм (høłəm) (Kazym), хутум (hutum) (Middle Ob)
    • Southern Khanty: хутәм (hutəm) (Konda)
• Proto-Permic: *kwiń (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Mari: *kŭm (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Mordvinic: *kolmə
  • Erzya: колмо (kolmo)
  • Moksha: колма (kolma)
• Proto-Samic: *kolmë (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Finnic: *kolmi (see there for further descendants)

• *kolmamte (“third”)

• Janhunen, Juha. 2009. "Proto-Uralic—what, where and when?" In: The quasquicentennial of the Finno-Ugrian Society. Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 258, pp. 57–78.
• Kulonen, Ulla-Maija. 2002. "Suomalaiset ja suomalais-ugrilaiset luvut ja lukusanat" ('Finnish and Finno-Ugric numbers and numerals'). In: Graham Flegg, Lukujen historia: Sormilla laskemisesta tietokoneisiin, pp. 258–301. Helsinki: Art House. →ISBN

• Entry #341 in Uralonet, online Uralic etymological database of the Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics.