-кам

Bulgarian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-kati.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kɐm] (always unstressed)

Suffix

-кам • (-kam) impf

1. Creates onomatopoeic verbs from the corresponding interjections.

   Synonym: -ча (-ča)

   ‎шу-шу (šu-šu) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎шушу́кам (šušúkam, “to whisper”)

   ‎мър-мър (mǎr-mǎr) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎мъ́ркам (mǎ́rkam, “to purr”)

   ‎ох (oh) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎о́хкам (óhkam, “to say 'ouch', to moan”)

   ‎кря-кря (krja-krja) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎кря́кам (krjákam, “to croak; to squawk”)

   ‎ква-ква (kva-kva) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎ква́кам (kvákam, “to croak”)

2. Creates expressive, emotionally colored, or (by extension) diminutive verbs.

   ‎му́ша (múša) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎му́шкам (múškam, “to prod, to poke”)

   ‎изтъ́рся (iztǎ́rsja) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎изтръ́скам (iztrǎ́skam, “to shake off, to dust off”)

   ‎пла́ча (pláča) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎пла́чкам (pláčkam, “to cry”) (of children)

   ‎пре́ча (préča) + ‎-кам (-kam) → ‎пре́чкам се (préčkam se, “to get in the way”)

Derived terms

Bulgarian terms suffixed with -кам

• -икам (-ikam)
• -укам (-ukam)
• -уркам (-urkam) (forms diminutive verbs)
• -ичкам (-ičkam) (forms diminutive verbs)