Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-otьja

This Proto-Slavic 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-Slavic

Etymology

From the combination of *-ota +‎ *-ьja. Productive only in Bulgarian and Macedonian, so likely inherited from Old Church Slavonic. Probably, the construct was influenced by Byzantine Greek forms such as ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “private citizen”) → ἰδιωτεία (idiōteía, “ignorance”).

Suffix

*-otь̀ja f

1. Denominal, forming apologetic abstract nouns with negative connotation

   *běda (“trouble, misfortune”) → Macedonian бедотија (bedotija, “misery”)

   *groza (“horror, ugliness”) → *grozotьja (“eyesore”)

   *gnǫsъ (“disgust”) → *gnǫsotьja (“repugnance”)

   *sormъ (“shame”) → *sormotьja (“disgrace”)

2. Deadjectival, forming apologetic abstract nouns with negative connotation

   From simple-stem adjectives:

   *samъ (“alone”) → *samotьja (“solitute, loneliness”)

   *krivъ (“curved, awry”) → *krivotьja (“curvature; figur. petulant person”)

   *lošь (“bad”) → *lošetьja (“malice”)

   *tǫpъ (“dump”) → *tǫpotьja (“stupidity, stupid act”)

   *prostъ (“simple”) → *prostotьja (“simplicity, simpleton act”)

   From adjectives in *-ьnъ:

   *bědьnъ (“poor”) → Bulgarian беднотия (bednotija, “poverty”)

   *alčьnъ (“greedy, avid”) → *alčьnotьja (“excessive greed, avidity”)

   *tьmьnъ (“dark, dull”) → *tьmьnotьja (“pitch darkness”)

   *těsnъ (“narrow”) → *těsnotьja (“lack of space, slimness”)

3. Deverbial, forming apologetic abstract nouns with negative connotation

   *mьrsiti (“to pollute, to defile”) → *mьrsotьja (“pollution”)

   *brъkati (“to stir, to mix”) → *brъkotьja (“disorder, absolute mess”)

Declension

Declension of *-otьja (soft a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-otьja	*-otьji	*-otьję̇
genitive	*-otьję̇	*-otьju	*-otьjь
dative	*-otьji	*-otьjama	*-otьjamъ
accusative	*-otьjǫ	*-otьji	*-otьję̇
instrumental	*-otьjejǫ, *-otьjǫ**	*-otьjama	*-otьjami
locative	*-otьji	*-otьju	*-otьjasъ, *-otьjaxъ*
vocative	*-otьje	*-otьji	*-otьję̇

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).

Derived terms

Category Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-otьja not found

References

• G. Kiselinov (1958): "-отиjа" in Македонска граматика за IV одделение (in Macedonian), Prosvetno delo, page 50
• St. Stoyanov (1983): "-отѝя" in Граматика на съвременния Български книжовен език, vol. II Морфология (in Bulgarian), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 63