Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/-ait'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

Etymology

Probably a variant of *-it'ak with rebracketing/re-extraction from a-stems into the suffix. The lack of the standard labialization *-ai- > *-oi- suggests a relatively recent origin or prevention of the sound change by analogy.

Suffix

*-ait'ak / *-äit'äk (stem *-aida- / *-äidä-)

Forms verbs, often continuative or frequentative, mainly from nominal stems.

Usage notes

This suffix was particularly productive in onomatopoeic stems, especially in later eastern varieties of Northern Finnic (Eastern Finnish, Karelian, Veps and intermediate varieties), but some examples can be reconstructed back to Proto-Finnic, such as *heläit'äk, *kumait'ak and (possibly) *hauk'ait'ak, *rabait'ak.
With regard to Indo-European borrowings, many verbs (mostly Baltic; also some Germanic, but see *-it'ak) have been assimilated with this suffix.

Derived terms

Proto-Finnic terms suffixed with *-ait'ak

Descendants

Finnish: -ajaa (dialectal, stem -aja-, e.g. heläjää, kumajaa)
Veps: -aita