Bulgarian

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Etymology

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From Proto-Slavic *-ajemъ, present passive participle ending of a- (including some ja-), a/C-, or a/j-conjugation verbs. In Modern Bulgarian, the derivatives constructed with this suffix are interpreted as normal adjectives.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [-ɐɛm]
  • Audio:(file)

Suffix

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-аем (-aem)

  1. (productive) Deverbal from transitive verbs in thematic a-conjugation, forms adjectives expressing capacity, susceptibility, eventuality, or condition: -able
    обитая (obitaja, to settle in, to habituate)обитаем (obitaem, habitable)
    закопчая (zakopčaja, to button (a knob))закопчаем (zakopčaem, buttonable)
    оправдая (opravdaja, to excuse)оправдаем (opravdaem, excusable)
    разгадая (razgadaja, to unravel)разгадаем (razgadaem, scrutable, solvable)
  2. (productive) Deverbal from transitive verbs in аthematic a-conjugation, forms adjectives expressing capacity, susceptibility, eventuality, or condition: -able
    гледам impf (gledam, to observe, to look at)гледаем (gledaem, watchable)
    смилам pf (smilam, to mince, to grind)смилаем (smilaem, digestible)
    разбирам impf (razbiram, to understand)разбираем (razbiraem, understandable)
    облагам pf (oblagam, to put a tax)облагаем (oblagaem, taxable)
  3. (semi-productive) Deverbal from transitive verbs in variable a/C- or a/j-conjugation, forms adjectives expressing capacity, susceptibility, eventuality, or condition: -able
    дъвча (dǎvča, to chew) (a/j-conj.) → дъвкаем (dǎvkaem, chewable)
    призова (prizova, to invoke) (a/C-conj.) → призоваем (prizovaem, summonable)

Derived terms

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References

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  • St. Stoyanov (1983) “Прилагателни имена от причастия”, in Граматика на съвременния български книжовен език, volume 2, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 150