Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ja

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

• *-ťa (verbs ending in -V-)

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-jāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *-yeh₂. Cognate with Lithuanian -ia and -ja.

Suffix

*-ja f

1. Suffix creating feminine action nouns, usually concretized in nomina instrumenti and nomina acti.
   1. Deverbal, from the present stem.

      Synonyms: *-ělь, *-ъkъ

      *sěťi (“to cut, mow, chop”) → *sěča (“chopping, cutting”)

      *žędati (“to be thirsty”) → *žęďa (“thirst”)

      *pręsti (“to spin”) → *pręďa (“yarn”)

   2. Deverbal, from -i- verbs.

      *loviti → *lovľa

      *grabiti → *grabľa

      *gorditi → *gorďa

      *xoditi → *xoďa

   3. Deadjectival.

      Synonyms: *-ědь, *-ina, *-yni, *-ota, *-ostь

      *suxъ (“dry”) → *suša (“drought”)

      *gǫstъ (“dense”) → *gǫšča (“thicket; slurry, sludge; something dense or densely arranged”)

      *mok- (“wet”) → *moča (“wetness”)

   4. Denominal.

      *světъ (“light, brightness”) → *svěťa (“candle”)

      *koza (“goat”) → *koža (“skin, leather”)

      *duxъ (“spirit”) → *duša (“soul”)

   5. Denominal, from i-stem.

      Synonym: *-i

      *tьstь (“father in law”) → *tьšča (“mother in law”)

      *gospodь (“lord, master”) → *gospoďa (“lady, mistress”)

      *zemь → *zemľa

Declension

Declension of *-ja (soft a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ja	*-ji	*-ję̇
genitive	*-ję̇	*-ju	*-jь
dative	*-ji	*-jama	*-jamъ
accusative	*-jǫ	*-ji	*-ję̇
instrumental	*-jejǫ, *-jǫ**	*-jama	*-jami
locative	*-ji	*-ju	*-jasъ, *-jaxъ*
vocative	*-je	*-ji	*-ję̇

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).

See also

• *-ělь
• *-ědь
• *-jь \ *-ьjь (“possessive suffix”)

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-ja

References

• Sławski, Franciszek, editor (1974), “*-ja”, in Słownik prasłowiański [Proto-Slavic Dictionary] (in Polish), volume 1 (a – bьzděti), Wrocław: Ossolineum, page 81
• Šekli, Matej (2012) “Besedotvorni pomeni samostalniških izpeljank v praslovanščini”, in Philological Studies‎^[1] (in Slovene), volume 10, number 1, Skopje, Perm, Ljubljana, Zagreb, pages 115–32