Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-nь

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

Alternative forms

*-znь
*-snь / *-snja

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-nis.

Cognate with Lithuanian -nis, degsnìs, Old Prussian biāsnan (Asg.), Proto-Germanic *-niz and Hittite [script needed] (ḫaneššar), [script needed] (ḫanešnaš, Gen.).^[1]

Suffix

*-nь f

Deverbative, creates nouns
From verbs ending in -V-
*pěsnь (“song”) ← *pěti (“to sing”)

*basnь (“tale”) ← *ba- (“to tell”)

*žiznь (“life”) ← *žiti (“to live”)

*kuznь (“forge, smithy”) ← *ku- (“to forge”)

From verbs ending in -a/V-
*kajaznь (“sorrow”) ← *kajati (“to regret”)

*prijaznь (“friendship”) ← *prijati (“to favor, to please”)

From verbs eniding in -C/j-
*bornь (“standoff, battle”) ← *borti (“to fight, to wrestle”)

*dolnь (“palm of hand”) ← Pre-Slavic *dolti (“to rub, to wreck”)

*kolnь (“slaughter”) ← *kolti (“to stab, cleave”)

technically *dьnь (“day”) ← Pre-Slavic *diti (“to emerge, to brighten”)

From verbs ending in -ě-, -ě/i-
*bojaznь (“fear, awe”) ← *bojati (“to fear”)

*bolěznь (“pain, agony”) ← *bolěti (“to hurt”)

*grěnь (“blaze”) ← *grěti (“to heat, to shine”)

*lěnь (“sloth”) ← Pre-Slavic *lětь (“to allow, to let”) (preserved only in adverb form)

From verbs ending in -a-:
*dьranь (“tearing, wrench, trash”) ← *dьrati (“to tear”)

*bьranь (“yield”) ← *bьrati (“to pick up”)

*zařanь (“morning, dayspring”) ← *ozařati (“to elluminate”)

*oranь (“plowing”) ← *orati (“to plow”)

Declension

Declension of *-nь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-nь	*-ni	*-ni
genitive	*-ni	-nьju, -ňu^*	-nьjь, -ni^*
dative	*-ni	*-nьma	*-nьmъ
accusative	*-nь	*-ni	*-ni
instrumental	-nьjǫ, -ňǫ^*	*-nьma	*-nьmi
locative	*-ni	-nьju, -ňu^*	*-nьxъ
vocative	*-ni	*-ni	*-ni

^* 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).