Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/vottadak

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 edit

Unclear. According to older theories, the word would be related to Northern Sami vuohttit, Komi-Zyrian вотны (votny), Northern Mansi ва̄туӈкве (wātuňkwe) and Tundra Nenets [script needed] (wed́e-), suggesting it could come from Proto-Uralic *watta-, but this implies an irregular change of the initial vowel. Alternatively, according to Zhivlov (2014), from Proto-Uralic *wotta-, whence only the Finnic and Mansi terms.[1]

Koivulehto proposed that the word, through older *vont-ta-, is borrowed from Proto-Indo-European *wondʰ-éye- or its Pre-Germanic descendant, whence Proto-Germanic *wandijaną. The semantic development would be "to turn > turn towards oneself > take possession of" (cf. German wenden (to turn) > German entwenden (to steal), and possible parallels in older Germanic languages as well, such as Old Norse venda), with the older meaning surviving in the derived word *vot'in (key, literally a tool which is turned).[2]

Metsäranta (2020) raises the possibility that the root is actually two separate, originally unrelated roots. He also denies that the aforementioned Komi word (Komi-Zyrian вотны (votny)) is cognate with either, instead tracing it back to Proto-Uralic *wexe-ptä-.[3]

Noun edit

*vottadak (stem *votta-)

  1. to take

Inflection edit

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

References edit

  1. ^ Zhivlov, Mikhail. Studies in Uralic vocalism III. Journal of Language Relationship (Вопросы языкового родства) 12 (2014). p. 139
  2. ^ Koivulehto http://www.sgr.fi/susa/92/koivulehto.pdf
  3. ^ Metsäranta, Niklas. Periytyminen ja lainautuminen: Marin ja permiläisten kielten sanastontutkimusta (2020). University of Helsinki (Doctoral dissertation). pp. 241–243