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.).

Suffix

*-nь f

1. 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).

See also

• *-tь
• *-ina, *-izna
• *-sno; *-slo, *-dlo

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-nь

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-znь

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-snь