Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ьjь
Proto-Slavic
Etymology
Extending ending of archaic i-stem adjectives, from Proto-Indo-European *-is + *-yós.
Old Church Slavonic preserved a few true i-stem adjectives, however, they were indeclinable for gender, case or number[1]: e.g. Old Church Slavonic исплънь (isplŭnĭ, “full of”), свободь (svobodĭ, “free”), различь (različĭ, “different”), ѹдобь (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), ѹдобьнъ (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
- Synonym: *-inъ
- *kozьjь (“goaty”) ← *koza (“goat”)
- *gǫšьjь (“goosey”) ← *gǫsь (“goose”)
- *myšьjь (“mousy”) ← *myšь (“mouse”)
- *lisьjь (“foxy”) ← *lisъ (“fox”)
- *vьlčьjь (“lupine”) ← *vьlkъ (“wolf”)
- *pьsьjь (“doggy”) ← *pьsъ (“dog”)
- *kučьjь (“doggy”) ← *kučę (“dog cub”) (only in South Slavic, originally meaning "ferocious spirit")
- *mеčьjь (“beary”) ← *mеčę (“bear cub”) (only in South Slavic, originally meaning "honey-eater")
- *rěpьjь (“sticky”) ← *rěpъ (“burdock, spec. Arctium lappa”)
- *gvozdьjь (“piercing, naily”) ← *gvozdь (“nail”)
- From collective nouns, forming expressive adjectives denoting excess of something
Declension
Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative | *-ьjь | *-ьja | *-ьje |
Accusative | *-ьjь | *-ьjǫ | *-ьje |
Genitive | *-ьja | *-ьję | *-ьja |
Locative | *-ьji | *-ьji | *-ьji |
Dative | *-ьju | *-ьji | *-ьju |
Instrumental | *-ьjemь | *-ьjejǫ | *-ьjemь |
Vocative | *-ьju | *-ьje | *-ьje |
Dual | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
Nominative | *-ьja | *-ьji | *-ьji |
Accusative | *-ьja | *-ьji | *-ьji |
Genitive | *-ьju | *-ьju | *-ьju |
Locative | *-ьju | *-ьju | *-ьju |
Dative | *-ьjema | *-ьjama | *-ьjema |
Instrumental | *-ьjema | *-ьjama | *-ьjema |
Vocative | *-ьja | *-ьji | *-ьji |
Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
Nominative | *-ьji | *-ьję | *-ьja |
Accusative | *-ьję | *-ьję | *-ьja |
Genitive | *-ьjь | *-ьjь | *-ьjь |
Locative | *-ьjixъ | *-ьjaxъ | *-ьjixъ |
Dative | *-ьjemъ | *-ьjamъ | *-ьjemъ |
Instrumental | *-ьji | *-ьjami | *-ьji |
Vocative | *-ьji | *-ьję | *-ьja |
Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
---|---|---|---|
Nominative | *-ьjьjь | *-ьjaja | *-ьjeje |
Accusative | *-ьjьjь | *-ьjǫjǫ | *-ьjeje |
Genitive | *-ьjajego | *-ьjęję | *-ьjajego |
Locative | *-ьjijemь | *-ьjiji | *-ьjijemь |
Dative | *-ьjujemu | *-ьjiji | *-ьjujemu |
Instrumental | *-ьjijimi | *-ьjǫjǫ | *-ьjijimi |
Vocative | *-ьjьjь | *-ьjaja | *-ьjeje |
Dual | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
Nominative | *-ьjaja | *-ьjiji | *-ьjiji |
Accusative | *-ьjaja | *-ьjiji | *-ьjiji |
Genitive | *-ьjuju | *-ьjuju | *-ьjuju |
Locative | *-ьjuju | *-ьjuju | *-ьjuju |
Dative | *-ьjijima | *-ьjijima | *-ьjijima |
Instrumental | *-ьjijima | *-ьjijima | *-ьjijima |
Vocative | *-ьjaja | *-ьjiji | *-ьjiji |
Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
Nominative | *-ьjiji | *-ьjęję | *-ьjaja |
Accusative | *-ьjęję | *-ьjęję | *-ьjaja |
Genitive | *-ьjьjixъ | *-ьjьjixъ | *-ьjьjixъ |
Locative | *-ьjijixъ | *-ьjijixъ | *-ьjijixъ |
Dative | *-ьjijimъ | *-ьjijimъ | *-ьjijimъ |
Instrumental | *-ьjijimi | *-ьjijimi | *-ьjijimi |
Vocative | *-ьjiji | *-ьjęję | *-ьjaja |
Related terms
Descendants
References
- Duridinov et al. (1991) Граматика на старобългарския език (in Bulgarian) by Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, p. 202