Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/-t'ak

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 edit

Etymology 1 edit

Originally a variant of *-tadak when attached to vowel stems and landing on an odd syllable, while *-tadak would have been on even syllables or when attached to consonant stems.

Suffix edit

*-t'ak / *-t'äk (stem *-da- / *-dä-)

  1. Forms verbs from nominal stems, generally with a causative, factitive or instrumental meaning.
Inflection edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
  • Estonian: -ma/-ta
  • Finnish: -ta

Etymology 2 edit

A later development from etymology 1 by analogy with causative derivatives using *-ttadak, thus analogously making the shorter suffix anticausative.[1]

Suffix edit

*-t'ak / *-t'äk (stem *-da- / *-dä-)

  1. Forms verbs from stems, generally with a translative or reflexive meaning.
Reconstruction notes edit

Hakulinen (1979) distinguishes between *-da- stems and *-de- stems (the latter of which would include *halgët'ak and *katkët'ak),[2] after Rapola (1922).[3] However, YSuS reconstructs both verbs with *-da-, so reconstructing this distinction already in Proto-Finnic appears to be considered obsolete (if it ever existed, it would instead be later secondary development).

Inflection edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
  • Finnish: -ta (somewhat conflated with etymology 1)

Etymology 3 edit

From Proto-Uralic *-me-.

The change *m > *n is likely by analogy with the passive and participle stems, as well as the causative *-ntadak, where the added *-t- incurred a regular *mt > *nt. This change was then generalized to other forms.

The consonant stem, i.e. the stem when followed by a *t (such as in the passive and infinitive forms) or *k (in the imperative forms), has been reformed to *-d- (*-t'-, *-tk-), due to confusion with verbs using the suffix *-nte-[4] (*-t'ak (reflexive) added to -n- stems). The first infinitive form would have, with this ending, become *-nt(e)-dak > *-nt'ak > *-t'ak (with simplification of the then phonotactically impossible cluster *nt': compare *kattadak < *kanci).

Like *-ldak and the comparative ending *-mpi (which see for more), this verb consistently induces a stem vowel change *-A- > *-e-.

Suffix edit

*-t'ak / *-t'äk (stem *-në- / *-ne-)

  1. Forms verbs from stems, generally with a translative or reflexive meaning.
Inflection edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit

Etymology 4 edit

From Proto-Finno-Permic *-te-. Cognate with Proto-Samic *-tëtēk (in e.g. Northern Sami geassádit).

Suffix edit

*-t'ak / *-t'äk (stem *-dë- / *-de-)

  1. Forms reflexive verbs.
Usage notes edit

This suffix *-te- > *-de- is often reduced to simply -i- in descendants. This is regular (compare, for instance, the genitive plural ending *-den becoming -in in Finnish, like in *kaladën > kalain, now dialectal).

Inflection edit

Secondary stem variant *-tte-, *-t'e-.

Descendants edit
  • Finnish: -ida, -ita (dialectal; e.g. first infinitive "heittäidä" or "heittäitä", first-person singular indicative present "hei(t)täin")
  • Ingrian: -issa (with -s- levelled from past forms by analogy)
  • Votic: -ssa (with -s- levelled from past forms by analogy)

Etymology 5 edit

From Proto-Uralic *-nte-, possibly a variant of *-nta-, whence *-ntadak.

Suffix edit

*-t'ak / *-t'äk (stem *-ntë- / *-nte-)

  1. Forms frequentative verbs.
Inflection edit
Descendants edit

References edit

  1. ^ Lehtinen, Tapani. Itämerensuomen passiivin alkuperästä. SKS, 1984.
  2. ^ Hakulinen, Lauri. 1941–2000. Suomen kielen rakenne ja kehitys ('The Structure and Development of the Finnish Language'). Helsinki: Otava/Helsingin yliopisto.
  3. ^ Rapola, Martti. Pääpainottomain tavujen a-, ä-loppuiset vokaaliyhtymät suomen murteissa (1922)
  4. ^ E. N. Setälä. Suomen passiivista. Virittäjä 19 (1915). p. 133–134. [1]