Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-nikъ
Proto-Slavic
Etymology
Compound of *-nъ + *-ikъ, cognate with Latvian -nieks.
The form *-nikъ seems to be prevalent mainly in East and South Slavic. West Slavic uses instead *-nьcь (from *-nъ + *-ьcь), e.g. Polish pomazaniec, wybraniec.
Suffix
*-nikъ m
- From verbal root-stems, forms agent or object nouns.
- *podati (“to yield”) → *podanikъ (“subject”)
- *vъstati (“to rise up”) → *vъstanikъ (“rebel, insurgent”)
- From nominal root-stems, forms object nouns.
- *věja (“branch”) → *věnikъ (“wreath”)
Usage notes
- In East Slavic, the suffix has been reanalyzed as duplication of *-n- + *-ьnikъ, as in Russian избра́нник (izbránnik), помаза́нник (pomazánnik).
- The related terms are significantly more productive than the current root-based suffix.
Declension
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *-nikъ | *-nika | *-nici |
| genitive | *-nika | *-niku | *-nikъ |
| dative | *-niku | *-nikoma | *-nikomъ |
| accusative | *-nikъ | *-nika | *-niky |
| instrumental | *-nikъmь, *-nikomь* | *-nikoma | *-niky |
| locative | *-nicě | *-niku | *-nicěxъ |
| vocative | *-niče | *-nika | *-nici |
* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.
Alternative forms
- *-nьcь