Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/hëpo

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

Unclear. Commonly suspected to derive from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos in some fashion, but no clear source has been found. Metathesis from earlier *ëhpo has been suggested, with a possible parallel in *haapa), which would then be borrowed from Proto-Germanic *ehwaz. LÄGLOS remains skeptical about the possibility.

Has been compared earlier also with Danish hoppe (“adult female horse”), Old Norse hoppa (from Proto-Germanic *huppōną), or with Eastern Mari чома (čoma, “foal”), Komi-Zyrian чань (ćań, “foal”), Udmurt чуньы (ćuńy, “foal”) but since 1950 these have been considered phonetically untenable. The Komi and Udmurt words are possibly rather cognate with *sonni.

Noun

*hëpo

1. horse

Inflection

Inflection of *hëpo

Note: The Proto-Finnic declension system is yet to be reconstructed in detail. What is presented here is only one possibility.
		singular	plural
nominative		*hëpo	*hëbot
accusative		*hëbon	*hëbot
genitive		*hëbon	*hëpodën *hëpoidën
partitive		*hëpoda	*hëpoida
inessive		*hëbossa *hëbohna	*hëboissa *hëboihna
elative		*hëbosta	*hëboista
illative		*hëpohën	*hëpoihën
adessive		*hëbolla	*hëboilla
ablative		*hëbolta	*hëboilta
allative		*hëpolën *hëpolëk	*hëpoilën *hëpoilëk
essive		*hëpona	*hëpoina
translative		*hëboksi	*hëboiksi
instructive		*hëbon	*hëboin
comitative		*hëponëk	*hëpoinëk
abessive		*hëbotta	*hëboitta

Derived terms

• *hëpoinën

Descendants

• Estonian: hobu
• Finnish: hepo
• Ingrian: hepo
• Karelian:
  • North Karelian: hepo
  • South Karelian: hebo
• Livvi: hebo
• Ludian: hebo
• Veps: hebo
• Votic: õpo, opo

References

• Kylstra, A.D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Otto. 1991–2012. Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen. Amsterdam: Rodopi.