Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ga

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

The suffix is one of several similar suffixes, namely *-ba, *-da, which formed derivative nouns from verbal or nominal roots. When attached to nouns or adjectives, it got compounded to the primal suffix of the stem, extending it into *-ьdza for i-stem roots or -oga for o-stem roots.

Ultimately, the suffix descends from Proto-Indo-European *-gʰo-, *-gʰeh₂. Encountered in Lithuanian stógas (“build”) = Lithuanian stóti (“to stand”) + -gas and analogous with Proto-Germanic *-gô (e.g. *frauþaz (“jumper”) → *fruþgô (“frog”)).

Suffix 1

*-ga f

1. Deverbative, forming abstract nouns.

   Synonyms: *-ьba, *-ьda, *-tva, *-ežь

   *strujiti (“to stream”) → *struga (“wave font”)

   *sluti (“to be called, to utter”) → *sluga (“servant”)

   *derti (“to tear”) → *dorga (“road”)

2. Denominal, forming attributive nouns.

   *gobь (“share, wealth”) → *gobьdzъ (“fortune”), *gobьdza (“abundance”)

Declension

Declension of *-ga (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ga	*-dzě	*-gy
genitive	*-gy	*-gu	*-gъ
dative	*-dzě	*-gama	*-gamъ
accusative	*-gǫ	*-dzě	*-gy
instrumental	*-gojǫ, *-gǫ**	*-gama	*-gami
locative	*-dzě	*-gu	*-gasъ, *-gaxъ*
vocative	*-go	*-dzě	*-gy

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).

Alternative forms

• *-gъ m, *-go n

Derived suffixes

• *-ogъ m, *-oga f
• *-iga
• *-ežь (i-stem)

Suffix 2

*-gъ

1. From basic root stems, forming attributional adjectives

   Synonyms: *-bъ, *-dъ

   *dьliti (“to prolong”) → *dьlgъ (“long”)

   *duti (“to blow, to swell”) → *dužь (“strong”) (with yo-declension)

   *dorti (“to peel, to pluck”) → *dorgъ (“dear”)

Declension

Indefinite declension of *-ga (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-gъ	*-ga	*-go
genitive	*-ga	*-gy	*-ga
dative	*-gu	*-dzě	*-gu
accusative	*-gъ	*-gǫ	*-go
instrumental	*-gomь	*-gojǫ	*-gomь
locative	*-dzě	*-dzě	*-dzě
vocative	*-že	*-go	*-go
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-ga	*-dzě	*-dzě
genitive	*-gu	*-gu	*-gu
dative	*-goma	*-gama	*-goma
accusative	*-ga	*-dzě	*-dzě
instrumental	*-goma	*-gama	*-goma
locative	*-gu	*-gu	*-gu
vocative	*-ga	*-dzě	*-dzě
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-dzi	*-gy	*-ga
genitive	*-gъ	*-gъ	*-gъ
dative	*-gomъ	*-gamъ	*-gomъ
accusative	*-gy	*-gy	*-ga
instrumental	*-gy	*-gami	*-gy
locative	*-dzěxъ	*-gaxъ	*-dzěxъ
vocative	*-dzi	*-gy	*-ga

Definite declension of *-ga (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-gъjь	*-gaja	*-goje
genitive	*-gajego	*-gyję̇	*-gajego
dative	*-gujemu	*-dzěji	*-gujemu
accusative	*-gъjь	*-gǫjǫ	*-goje
instrumental	*-gyjimь	*-gǫjǫ	*-gyjimь
locative	*-dzějemь	*-dzěji	*-dzějemь
vocative	*-gъjь	*-gaja	*-goje
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-gaja	*-dzěji	*-dzěji
genitive	*-guju	*-guju	*-guju
dative	*-gyjima	*-gyjima	*-gyjima
accusative	*-gaja	*-dzěji	*-dzěji
instrumental	*-gyjima	*-gyjima	*-gyjima
locative	*-guju	*-guju	*-guju
vocative	*-gaja	*-dzěji	*-dzěji
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-dziji	*-gyję̇	*-gaja
genitive	*-gъjixъ	*-gъjixъ	*-gъjixъ
dative	*-gyjimъ	*-gyjimъ	*-gyjimъ
accusative	*-gyję̇	*-gyję̇	*-gaja
instrumental	*-gyjimi	*-gyjimi	*-gyjimi
locative	*-gyjixъ	*-gyjixъ	*-gyjixъ
vocative	*-dziji	*-gyję̇	*-gaja

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -га (-ga)
    • Belarusian: -га (-ha)
    • Russian: -га (-ga)
    • Ukrainian: -га (-ha)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: -га (-ga)

    Glagolitic script: -ⰳⰰ (-ga)

  • Bulgarian: -га (-ga)
  • Macedonian: -га (-ga)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -га

    Latin script: -ga

  • Slovene: -ga
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -ha
  • Polish: -ga
  • Slovak: -ha
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: -ha
    • Lower Sorbian: -ha

References

• G. Nandriş (1965) Handbook Of Old Church Slavonic Grammar, page 90
• Duridinov et al. (1991) Граматика на Старобългарския език, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 180
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1974), “*batogъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 1 (*a – *besědьlivъ), Moscow: Nauka, page 165
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*gobьzъ(je), *gobьza”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 186
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1992), “*matoga”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 18 (*matoga – *mękyšьka), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 5