-алка

Bulgarian

Alternative forms

• -ялка (-jalka) — when appended to roots ending in a vowel

Etymology 1

Diminutive form of Bulgarian -ало (-alo) + -ка (-ka), built upon the instrumental suffix Proto-Slavic *-dlo. In some cases, both the base form in -ало (-alo) and the diminutive form in -алка (-alka) are attested, e.g.:

духам (duham, “to blow”) → духало (duhalo, “blower”) → духалка (duhalka, “fan, ventilator”).

Suffix

-алка • (-alka) f

1. Deverbal, forming feminine instrumental or effect nouns.

   бухам (buham, “to bat, to swat”) → бухалка (buhalka, “bat, paddle”)

   закачам (zakačam, “to hang over, to hook”) → закачалка (zakačalka, “hanger, peg”)

   пръскам (prǎskam, “to sparkle, to spray”) → пръскалка (prǎskalka, “sprayer”)

   тупам (tupam, “to beat, to stomp”) → тупалка (tupalka, “beater”)

   гриза (griza, “to bite, to fret”) (a/V-conj.) → гризалка (grizalka, “pacifier; small snack”)

   снова (snova, “to shunt”) (a/V-conj.) → сновалка (snovalka, “shuttle”)

   ближа (bliža, “to lick”) (a/j-conj.) → близалка (blizalka, “lollipop”)

   пиша (piša, “to write”) (a/j-conj.) → писалка (pisalka, “pen”)

2. Denominal, forming feminine instrumental or effect nouns, probably via an intermediate (often obsolete) factitive verb.

   пърз (pǎrz, “slip”) → *пързам (*pǎrzam) → пързалка (pǎrzalka, “pen”)

   ключ (ključ, “key”) → ключая (ključaja, “to clink”) (obsolete) → ключалка (ključalka, “latch, keyhole”)

Related terms

• -лка (-lka), -лица (-lica)
• -елка (-elka), -елица (-elica)
• -илка (-ilka)
• -улка (-ulka)

Etymology 2

Doublet of -елка (-elka) in palatal environments (where earlier -ѣ- /æ/ becomes -я- /ja/ in Eastern dialects).

Suffix

-алка • (-alka) f

1. Alternative form of -елка (-elka)

   бръмча (brǎmča, “to buzz”) (ě/i-conj.) → бръмчалка (brǎmčalka, “buzzer”)

   запуша (zapuša, “to tap, to clog”) (ě/i-conj.) → запушалка (zapušalka, “plug”)

Etymology 3

Diminutive form of Bulgarian -ал (-al) + -ка (-ka).

Suffix

-алка • (-alka) f

1. Denominal, forming feminine instrumental or resultant nouns.

   вързал (vǎrzal, “knot”) → вързалка (vǎrzalka, “node, tie; elaborate scheme”)

   търкал (tǎrkal, “roll, nudge”) → търкалка (tǎrkalka, “rolling, tumbling”)

Macedonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈaɫka]

Suffix

-алка • (-alka) f

1. Suffix appended to verbs, forms feminine nouns, most often tools related to an action.

   ‎вее (vee) + ‎-алка (-alka) → ‎веалка f (vealka)

   ‎грее (gree) + ‎-алка (-alka) → ‎греалка f (grealka)

   ‎дига (diga) + ‎-алка (-alka) → ‎дигалка f (digalka)

   ‎меша (meša) + ‎-алка (-alka) → ‎мешалка f (mešalka)

   ‎сука (suka) + ‎-алка (-alka) → ‎сукалка f (sukalka)

   ‎цеди (cedi) + ‎-алка (-alka) → ‎цедалка f (cedalka)

Derived terms

Macedonian terms suffixed with -алка