Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ьjь

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 In Late Common Slavic, the accent was retracted from the ending on the preceding syllable (known as Ivšić's law).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

1. From titural nouns, forming adjectives

   *božьjь (“divine”) ← *bogъ (“God”)

   *čьlověčьjь (“humane”) ← *čьlověkъ (“human”)

   *orbьjь (“laborous”) ← *orbъ (“servant”)

   *voržьjь (“hostile”) ← *vorgъ (“enemy”)

2. From animal or plant nouns, forming adjectives denoting pertainment to the respective animal

   Synonym: *-inъ

   *kozьjь (“goaty”) ← *koza (“goat”)

   *gǫsьjь (“goosey”) ← *gǫsь (“goose”)

   *myšьjь (“mousy”) ← *myšь (“mouse”)

   *lisьjь (“foxy”) ← *lisъ (“fox”)

   *vьlčьjь (“lupine”) ← *vьlkъ (“wolf”)

   *pьsьjь (“doggy”) ← *pьsъ (“dog”)

3. From collective nouns, forming expressive adjectives denoting excess of something

   *velьjь (“great”) (later replaced by *velikъ) ← *velь (“greatness”)

   *divьjь (“marvelous, natural, freely growing”) ← *divь (“amazement, wild nature”)

   *pročьjь (“remaining, additional”) ← *prokъ (“remainder”)

Declension

Indefinite declension of *-ьjь (soft)

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

Definite declension of *-ьjь (soft)

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:
  • Old East Slavic: -ь (-ĭ), -ии (-ii)
    • Belarusian: -і m (-i) -ы m (-y),
    • Russian: -ий m (-ij), -ья f (-ʹja), -ье n (-ʹje)
    • Ukrainian: -ий m (-yj), -ій m (-ij)
  • Old Novgorodian: -ьи (-ĭi)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: -ьи (-ĭi), -ии (-ii)
  • Bulgarian: -и m (-i), -(и)я f (-(i)ja), -(и)е n (-(i)e)
  • Macedonian:
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -ји

    Latin script: -ji

  • Slovene:
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -í
  • Old Polish: -i, -y
    • Polish: -i
    • Polish: -y
  • Slovak: -í
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: -i, -y
  • Pomeranian:
    • Slovincian: -jy

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

1. Denomial, from i-stem nouns forms emphatic nouns denoting bearers of a property:

   *gvozdьjь (“pin, nail”) ← *gvozdь (“nail”)

   *čьrvьjь (“worm”) ← *čьrvь (“worm”)

2. Denomial, from o-stem nouns (or adjectives) forms nouns denoting bearers of a property:

   *rěpьjь (“bur”) ← *rěpъ (“burdock, spec. Arctium lappa”)

   *solvьjь (“nightingale”) ← *solvъ (“beige, dirty yellow”)

   *červьjь (“shoe”) ← *červo (“gut”)

   *žerbьjь (“lot”) ← *žerbъ (“cut-off”)

Declension

Declension of *-ьjь (soft o-stem)

	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)

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-ьjь

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian:
  • Russian: -ей (-ej)
  • Ukrainian:
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: -ии (-ii)
  • Bulgarian: -ей (-ej)
  • Macedonian: -еј (-ej)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -еј

    Latin script: -ej

  • Slovene:
• West Slavic:
  • Czech:
  • Slovak:
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: