Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/-sa

This Proto-Finnic 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-Finnic

Etymology

From Proto-Uralic *-sa, *-nsa.

Suffix

*-sa / *-sä

  1. The third-person singular possessive ending.

Usage notes

  • This was the form used in the nominative singular. The oblique form *-nsa (with initial *-n re-extracted from other inflectional suffixes, such as the genitive *-n) was used with all other cases and numbers.[1]
  • Has largely merged with the plural form *-sak in descendants, often in favour of the plural form.
  • As per usual rules (of 'suffixal gradation'), the consonant *-s- undergoes lenition to *-h- when preceded by an unstressed syllable (and a vowel).
  • The possessive suffix follows the case suffix.
  • In Northern Finnic (more specifically in Eastern Finnish, Karelian and Ingrian), an originally reflexive suffix *-sën / *-hën has replaced this suffix.

Coordinate terms

Proto-Finnic possessive suffixes
Person Nominative singular Oblique or plural
1st sing *-mi *-ni
2nd sing *-ci *-nci
3rd sing *-sa *-nsa
1st plur *-mak *-nak
2nd plur *-dak *-ndak
3rd plur *-sak *-nsak
Reference: Petri Kallio (2021) “Kaksikko aina kaunihimpi? Itämerensuomalaisten possessiivisuffiksien taustaa”, in Taina Saarikivi, Janne Saarikivi, editors, Turhan tiedon kirja: Tutkimuksista pois jätettyjä sivuja (Kirjokansi; 291) (in Finnish), pages 157-173

Descendants

  • >? Finnish: (dialectal) -sa (or more likely < *-sak)

References

  1. ^ Petri Kallio (2021) “Kaksikko aina kaunihimpi? Itämerensuomalaisten possessiivisuffiksien taustaa”, in Taina Saarikivi, Janne Saarikivi, editors, Turhan tiedon kirja: Tutkimuksista pois jätettyjä sivuja (Kirjokansi; 291) (in Finnish), pages 157-173
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.