Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ьcь

This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed words 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. Comparison with other languages points to the antiquity of denominal formations, which are most likely substantivized adjectives. 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.

Suffix

*-ьcь m

1. Forms diminutives from nouns.

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

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

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

2. Forms nouns from adjectives denoting persons having the specified property.

   *bordatъ (“bearded”) → *bordatьcь (“a bearded man”)

   *starъ (“old”) → *starьcь (“an old man”)

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

3. Forms agent nouns from verbs.

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

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

   *gǫdti > *gǫsti (“to play a string instrument”) → *gǫdьcь (“musician”)

   Synonyms: *-teľь, *-čь, *-ьnikъ

Declension

Declension of *-ьcь (soft o-stem)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*-ьcь	*-ьca	*-ьci
Accusative	*-ьcь	*-ьca	*-ьcę̇
Genitive	*-ьca	*-ьcu	*-ьcь
Locative	*-ьci	*-ьcu	*-ьcixъ
Dative	*-ьcu	*-ьcema	*-ьcemъ
Instrumental	*-ьcьmь, *-ьcemь*	*-ьcema	*-ьci
Vocative	*-ьče	*-ьca	*-ьci

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

See also

• *-ьca
• *-ъkъ
• *-ikъ

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic words suffixed with *-ьcь

Descendants

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

    Cyrillic: -ьць (-ĭcĭ)

    Glagolitic: -ⱐⱌⱐ (-ĭcĭ)

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

    Cyrillic: -ац, -ец (Kajkavian)

    Latin: -ac, -ec (Kajkavian)

  • Slovene: -ec
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -ec
  • Kashubian: -c
  • 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)‎^[2], Helsinki: University of Helsinki, page 70f