Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-čь

This Proto-Slavic 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-Slavic

Alternative forms

• *-ačь (when verb ending in -a-)
• *-ičь (when verb ending in -i-)

Etymology

Underlyingly reflecting Proto-Balto-Slavic *-kias, *-kis, from Proto-Indo-European *-k-yos, formed by agglutination of *-yos (Proto Slavic *-jь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ias) onto the element *-kъ.

Cognate with Lithuanian -kis and Latvian -ķis.

Suffix

*-čь m

1. Deverbal, forming agent nouns.

   Synonyms: *-teľь, *-ьcь, *-ьnikъ

   *kopati (“to dig”) → *kopačь (“digger”)

   *kovati (“to forge”) → *kovačь (“smith, blacksmith”)

   *běgati (“to run”) → *běgačь (“runner”)

   *jьgrati (“to play”) → *jьgračь (“player”)

   *vьrati (“to lie”) → *vьračь (“sorcerer, soothsayer, charlatan”)

   *pogoniti (“to pursue, observe”) → *pogoničь (“drover”)

   *roditi (“to give birth”) → *rodičь (“father”)

   *voditi (“to lead”) → *vodičь (“leader”)

   *badati\*bodati or *bodti > *bosti (“to sting, stab, butt”) → *bodačь (“that which stings, stabs, butts”)

2. Deverbal, forming nomina instrumenti.

   Synonym: *-dlo

   *biti (“to beat”) → *bičь (“whip”)

   *briti (“to shave, cut hair/beard”) → *bričь (“cutting tool, razor”)

Declension

Declension of *-čь (soft o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-čь	*-ča	*-či
genitive	*-ča	*-ču	*-čь
dative	*-ču	*-čema	*-čemъ
accusative	*-čь	*-ča	*-čę̇
instrumental	*-čьmь, *-čemь*	*-čema	*-či
locative	*-či	*-ču	*-čixъ
vocative	*-ču	*-ča	*-či

^* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

See also

• *-kъ

Derived terms

• *-ačь
• *-ičь

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-čь

Usage notes

• Used on verbs whose stem ends on vowels: -i-, -a- (-a- or -a/j- or -a/V-), (rarely) -ě-, (rarely) -V-

Descendants

• After the loss of word-final jer, daughter languages have reinterpreted the thematic ending of the verb -i- and -a- as a part of the suffix itself.
• In most of the daughters *-ačь merged with the reflex of *-čь which was preceded by the thematic vowel -a.

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -чь (-čĭ)
    • Belarusian: -іч (-ič), -ач (-ač)
    • Russian: -ич (-ič), -ач (-ač)
    • Ukrainian: -ич (-yč), -ач (-ač)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Church Slavonic: -чь (-čĭ), -ачь (-ačĭ)

    Old Church Slavonic: -ⱍⱐ (-čĭ), -ⰰⱍⱐ (-ačĭ)

  • Bulgarian: -ач (-ač); -ич (-ič) (rare)
  • Macedonian: -ич (-ič), -ач (-ač)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Serbo-Croatian: -ич, -ач

    Serbo-Croatian: -ič, -ač

  • Slovene: -ič, -ȉč, -áč (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -č, -ač, -áč
  • Kashubian: -ëcz, -ôcz
  • Polish: -icz, -acz
  • Slovak: -ič, -áč
  • Slovincian: -icz, -acz, -ocz
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: -ič, -ač
    • Lower Sorbian: -ic, -ac

References

• Šekli, Matej (2012) “Besedotvorni pomeni samostalniških izpeljank v praslovanščini”, in Philological Studies‎^[1] (in Slovene), volume 10, number 1, Skopje, Perm, Ljubljana, Zagreb, pages 115–32
• Sławski, Franciszek, editor (1974), “*-čь”, in Słownik prasłowiański [Proto-Slavic Dictionary] (in Polish), volumes 1 (a – bьzděti), Wrocław: Ossolineum, page 102
• Halla-aho, Jussi (2006) Problems of Proto-Slavic Historical Nominal Morphology: On the Basis of Old Church Slavic (Slavica Helsingiensia; 26), Helsinki: University of Helsinki, page 68