Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/ilman

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

From *ilma (“air”), more specifically an instructive (*-n) or genitive (*-n) singular form.

Preposition

*ilman

1. without

Usage notes

In most languages, this preposition governs the abessive case; this was probably also the case in Proto-Finnic, where this preposition may have first been emphatic. In some languages, this governs the partitive case instead.

Descendants

• Estonian: ilma
• Finnish: ilman
• Ingrian: ilman
• Livonian: ilmõ
• Veps: ilma
• Võro: ilma
• Votic: ilma

From *ilmain (influence from instructive plural?):

• Karelian:
  • North Karelian: ilmain
  • South Karelian: ilmain (dialectal)
• Livvi: ilmai
• Ludian: ilmai

Further reading

• Itkonen, Erkki, Kulonen, Ulla-Maija, editors (1992–2000), “ilman”, in Suomen sanojen alkuperä [The Origin of Finnish Words]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online version; note: also includes other etymological sources; this source is labeled "SSA 1992–2000"), Helsinki: Institute for the Languages of Finland/Finnish Literature Society, →ISBN
• “ilma”, in [ETY] Eesti etümoloogiasõnaraamat [Estonian Etymological Dictionary] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2012