Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/-yā
Proto-Celtic
Etymology
From a reanalysis of Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ being attached to the present stem of *-yeti verbs like *gʷedyeti (“to pray”) (whence Old Irish guide (“prayer”)) and *wegyeti (“to weave”) (whence *wegyā (“something woven”)).[1]
Suffix
*-yā f
- Forms verbal nouns from verb stems.
Usage notes
- This suffix is not the same as *-iyā (adjective nominalizer suffix), as is apparent from their different phonetic reflexes in Brittonic. In Brittonic, *-yā leaves no phonetic trace, but *-iyā results in Welsh -edd among others.
- The vocalism of the root is usually the same vocalism as the present stem of the corresponding verb.
Inflection
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *-yā | *-yai | *-yās |
| vocative | *-yā | *-yai | *-yās |
| accusative | *-yam | *-yai | *-yāns |
| genitive | *-yās | *-yous | *-yom |
| dative | *-yāi | *-yābom | *-yābos |
| locative | *-yai | *? | *? |
| instrumental | *? | *-yābim | *-yābis |
Derived terms
Proto-Celtic terms suffixed with *-yā