Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/soomu

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 earlier *soomi, from Proto-Uralic *śëme. Cognate with Proto-Samic *čuomë.

Noun

*soomu

1. scale (protective cover of an animal)

Inflection

Inflection of *soomu

Note: The Proto-Finnic declension system is yet to be reconstructed in detail. What is presented here is only one possibility.
		singular	plural
nominative		*soomu	*soomut
accusative		*soomun	*soomut
genitive		*soomun	*soomudën *soomuidën
partitive		*soomuda	*soomuida
inessive		*soomussa *soomuhna	*soomuissa *soomuihna
elative		*soomusta	*soomuista
illative		*soomuhën	*soomuihën
adessive		*soomulla	*soomuilla
ablative		*soomulta	*soomuilta
allative		*soomulën *soomulëk	*soomuilën *soomuilëk
essive		*soomuna	*soomuina
translative		*soomuksi	*soomuiksi
instructive		*soomun	*soomuin
comitative		*soomunëk	*soomuinëk
abessive		*soomutta	*soomuitta

Descendants

• Finnish: suomu
• Karelian:
  • North Karelian: šuomu

From *soomus:

• Estonian: soomus
• Finnish: suomus (dialectal)
• Ingrian: soomus
• Karelian:
  • South Karelian: suomus
• ⇒ Livonian: sūoņgõz
• Livvi: suomus
• Ludian: suomuz
• Veps: somuz
• Võro: soomus
• Votic: soomuz

Further reading

• “soomus”, in [ETY] Eesti etümoloogiasõnaraamat [Estonian Etymological Dictionary] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2012
• Itkonen, Erkki, Kulonen, Ulla-Maija, editors (1992–2000), “suomu”, 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
• Kallio, Petri (2020–) “*soomë⇒”, in Yhteissuomalainen sanasto [Common Finnic Vocabulary]‎^[2] (in Finnish)