Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ьcь

This Proto-Slavic 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-Slavic

Etymology

From earlier *-ьkъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ikas, from Proto-Indo-European *-ikos.

Cognate with Lithuanian -ikas, -ikis in siuvikas, siuvikis (< siūti, siùvo), piovikas (“reaper”) (< piáuti, pióvė).

Cognate with Lithuanian -ingas, Latvian -īgs, Proto-Germanic *-igaz, Latin -icus, Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós). Typically, these suffixes fulfill adjectival function (similar to Proto-Slavic *-ьnъ), however, sometimes their derivatives could also act as nominals like in Slavic.

Comparison with other languages points to the antiquity of denominal formations, which are most likely substantivized adjectives.

Suffix

*-ьcь m

2. (added to nouns) diminutive, small

   *rožьcь (“a small horn”) ⇐ *rogъ (“horn”)

   *obolčьcь (“a small cloud”) ⇐ *obolkъ (“cloud”)

   *gordьcь (“a small town”) ⇐ *gordъ (“city, town”)

4. (added to adjectives) nominalizer, person

   *starьcь (“an old man”) ⇐ *starъ (“old,”)

   *mǫdrьcь (“a wise man”) ⇐ *mǫdrъ (“wise”)

   *bordatьcь (“a bearded man”) ⇐ *bordatъ (“bearded (having beard)”) ⇐ *borda (“beard”)

6. (added to verbs) agent noun, doer

   Synonyms: *-teľь, *-čь, *-ьnikъ

   *šьvьcь (“sewer, seamster”) ⇐ *šiti (“to sew”)

   *plęsьcь (“dancer”) ⇐ *plęsati (“to dance”)

   *lovьcь (“hunter”) ⇐ *loviti (“to hunt”)

   *gǫdьcь (“musician”) ⇐ *gǫsti (“to play a string instrument”) ← *gǫdti

Declension

Declension of *-ьcь (soft o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ьcь	*-ьca	*-ьci
genitive	*-ьca	*-ьcu	*-ьcь
dative	*-ьcu	*-ьcema	*-ьcemъ
accusative	*-ьcь	*-ьca	*-ьcę̇
instrumental	*-ьcьmь, *-ьcemь*	*-ьcema	*-ьci
locative	*-ьci	*-ьcu	*-ьcixъ
vocative	*-ьče	*-ьca	*-ьci

^* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

See also

• *-ьca
• *-ъkъ
• *-ikъ

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-ьcь

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -ьць (-ĭcĭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: -ець (-ecʹ), -ецъ (-ec)
      • Belarusian: -ец (-jec)
      • Ukrainian: -ець (-ecʹ)
    • Russian: -ец (-ec)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: -ьць (-ĭcĭ)

    Glagolitic: -ⱐⱌⱐ (-ĭcĭ)

  • Bulgarian: -ец (-ec)
  • Macedonian: -ец (-ec)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -ац, -ец (Kajkavian)

    Latin script: -ac, -ec (Kajkavian)

  • Slovene: -ec
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -ec
  • Kashubian: -c
  • Polabian: -ăc
  • Polish: -iec, -ec
  • Slovak: -ec

Further reading

• Šekli, Matej (2012), “Besedotvorni pomeni samostalniških izpeljank v praslovanščini”, in Philological Studies‎^[1] (in Slovene), volume 10, issue 1, Skopje, Perm, Ljubljana, Zagreb, pages 115–32
• Halla-aho, Jussi (2006) Problems of Proto-Slavic Historical Nominal Morphology: On the Basis of Old Church Slavic (Slavica Helsingiensia; 26), Helsinki: University of Helsinki, page 70f