Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-nikъ
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Proto-Slavic
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Compound of *-nъ + *-ikъ, cognate with Latvian -nieks.
The form *-nikъ seems to be prevalent mainly in East and South Slavic. West Slavic uses instead *-nьcь (from *-nъ + *-ьcь), e.g. Polish pomazaniec, wybraniec.
Suffix
[edit]*-nikъ m
- From verbal root-stems, forms agent or object nouns.
- *podati (“to yield”) → *podanikъ (“subject”)
- *vъstati (“to rise up”) → *vъstanikъ (“rebel, insurgent”)
- From nominal root-stems, forms object nouns.
Usage notes
[edit]- In East Slavic, the suffix has been reanalyzed as duplication of *-n- + *-ьnikъ, as in Russian избра́нник (izbránnik), помаза́нник (pomazánnik).
- The related terms are significantly more productive than the current root-based suffix.
Declension
[edit]Declension of *-nikъ (hard o-stem)
singular | dual | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
nominative | *-nikъ | *-nika | *-nici |
genitive | *-nika | *-niku | *-nikъ |
dative | *-niku | *-nikoma | *-nikomъ |
accusative | *-nikъ | *-nika | *-niky |
instrumental | *-nikъmь, *-nikomь* | *-nikoma | *-niky |
locative | *-nicě | *-niku | *-nicěxъ |
vocative | *-niče | *-nika | *-nici |
* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.