Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/-ja

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 1

From Proto-Uralic *-ja, which was originally a participle ending in Proto-Uralic. Related to Proto-Samic *-jē.

Suffix

*-ja / *-jä

1. Forms agent nouns from verbs.

Usage notes

When attached to verbs with a stem in -e-, this changes to -i-. This takes place in most Finnic descendants, but it is uncertain whether this change already occurred in Proto-Finnic.

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

Proto-Finnic terms suffixed with *-ja

Descendants

• Estonian: -ja
• Finnish: -ja
• Livonian: -ji
• Karelian: -ja
• Veps: -i
• Võro: -ja, -j
• Votic: -ja

Etymology 2

Probably cognate with Komi-Zyrian -я (-ja) (in e.g. дыря (dyra)) and Udmurt -я (-ja) (in e.g. дыря (dyra)), in which case from Proto-Finno-Permic *-ja. Compare the illative suffix *-jen (found in e.g. some Estonian dialects and cognate with Proto-Samic *-jën).

Suffix

*-ja / *-jä

1. Forms nouns, mainly place names or other locative nouns, from nominal stems.

Descendants

• >? Finnish: -ja (in toponyms like Kytäjä, Lohtaja, Ypäjä)

*k-lative (*-jak):

• Estonian: -ja (in dialectal edaja < *etä-jäk), possibly the same suffix as -ja in salaja
• Finnish: -ia (in kahtia, kotia...)
• >? Livonian: -i (in kuodāi < *kota-jak, if not *kota-jën)

With external locative suffixes *-lla, *-len, *-lta:

• Finnish: -alla, -alle, -alta (probably at least partially)