Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-a
Proto-Slavic
Etymology 1
Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *-āˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ f. Compare Lithuanian -a, Latvian -a.
Suffix
*-a f[1]
- forms female equivalents to masculine nouns
- forms abstract nouns (later often concreted) from verbs
- (rare) forms abstract nouns (later often concreted) from adjectives
- (rare) forms collective nouns from nouns
- (rare) forms nouns denoting animals from interjections
- Proto-Indo-European *keh₂w-o-s + *-a → *kava (“jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)”)
Suffix
*-a m[1]
- (rare) forms agent nouns from verbs
Declension
singular | dual | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
nominative | *-a | *-ě | *-y |
genitive | *-y | *-u | *-ъ |
dative | *-ě | *-ama | *-amъ |
accusative | *-ǫ | *-ě | *-y |
instrumental | *-ojǫ, *-ǫ** | *-ama | *-ami |
locative | *-ě | *-u | *-asъ, *-axъ* |
vocative | *-o | *-ě | *-y |
* -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).
Derived terms
Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-a
Descendants
- East Slavic:
- South Slavic:
- West Slavic:
Etymology 2
Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *-āˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ n.
Suffix
*-a
- nominative/accusative/vocative plural of *-o
Etymology 3
Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ā, from Proto-Indo-European *-ead (thematic abl.sg. ending).
Suffix
*-a
- genitive singular of *-ъ
- genitive singular of *-o
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sławski, Franciszek, editor (1974), “SUFIKS -a”, in Słownik prasłowiański [Proto-Slavic Dictionary] (in Polish), volume 1 (a – bьzděti), Wrocław: Ossolineum, page 59