Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-vъ

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 1

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-was, from Proto-Indo-European *-wós, one of the suffixes from the so-called Caland system. As with other simple suffixes, *-vъ could be agglutinated to other morphemes forming compound suffixes like *-avъ (e.g. *glupavъ ← *glupъ), *-ivъ (e.g. *adušivъ ← *aduxa), *-ovъ (e.g. *surovъ ← *syrъ).

Suffix 1

*-vъ

1. From thematic declension of u-stem proto-adjectives, without independent base

   *novъ (“new”)

   *terzvъ (“sober”)

   *pьrvъ (“first”)

   *sъdorvъ (“healthy”)

2. Deverbal, forming attributive adjectives

   *lajati (“to lurk, to ambush”) → *lěvъ (“left”)

   *perti (“to propel, to beat”) → *pravъ (“straight, right”)

   *merti (“to deprive, to die”) → *mьrtvъ (“dead”)

   *krojiti (“to fashion, to cut”) → *krivъ (“curved”)

   *sijati (“to shine, to shimmer”) → *sivъ (“gray”)

   *stojati (“to stand”) → *stojěvъ (“who used to be situated, stood”)

3. (Extension) Denominal or deadjectivcal, forming possessive, pertaining or more expressive versions of the original adjective

   Appended to stems in *-ъ, yielding *-ovъ (see there for examples)

   Appended to stems in *-a, yielding *-avъ (see there for examples)

   Appended to stems in *-ь, yielding *-ivъ (see there for examples)

Declension

Indefinite declension of *-vъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vъ	*-va	*-vo
genitive	*-va	*-vy	*-va
dative	*-vu	*-vě	*-vu
accusative	*-vъ	*-vǫ	*-vo
instrumental	*-vomь	*-vojǫ	*-vomь
locative	*-vě	*-vě	*-vě
vocative	*-ve	*-vo	*-vo
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-va	*-vě	*-vě
genitive	*-vu	*-vu	*-vu
dative	*-voma	*-vama	*-voma
accusative	*-va	*-vě	*-vě
instrumental	*-voma	*-vama	*-voma
locative	*-vu	*-vu	*-vu
vocative	*-va	*-vě	*-vě
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vi	*-vy	*-va
genitive	*-vъ	*-vъ	*-vъ
dative	*-vomъ	*-vamъ	*-vomъ
accusative	*-vy	*-vy	*-va
instrumental	*-vy	*-vami	*-vy
locative	*-věxъ	*-vaxъ	*-věxъ
vocative	*-vi	*-vy	*-va

Definite declension of *-vъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vъjь	*-vaja	*-voje
genitive	*-vajego	*-vyję̇	*-vajego
dative	*-vujemu	*-věji	*-vujemu
accusative	*-vъjь	*-vǫjǫ	*-voje
instrumental	*-vyjimь	*-vǫjǫ	*-vyjimь
locative	*-vějemь	*-věji	*-vějemь
vocative	*-vъjь	*-vaja	*-voje
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vaja	*-věji	*-věji
genitive	*-vuju	*-vuju	*-vuju
dative	*-vyjima	*-vyjima	*-vyjima
accusative	*-vaja	*-věji	*-věji
instrumental	*-vyjima	*-vyjima	*-vyjima
locative	*-vuju	*-vuju	*-vuju
vocative	*-vaja	*-věji	*-věji
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-viji	*-vyję̇	*-vaja
genitive	*-vъjixъ	*-vъjixъ	*-vъjixъ
dative	*-vyjimъ	*-vyjimъ	*-vyjimъ
accusative	*-vyję̇	*-vyję̇	*-vaja
instrumental	*-vyjimi	*-vyjimi	*-vyjimi
locative	*-vyjixъ	*-vyjixъ	*-vyjixъ
vocative	*-viji	*-vyję̇	*-vaja

Suffix 2

*-vъ m

1. Deverbal, forming "factive" action nouns from imperfect verbs

   *grěti (“to heat, to shine”) → *grěvъ (“warming, shining”)

   *pěti (“to sing”) → *pěvъ (“couplet, refrain (of a song)”)

   *zijati (“to gape”) → *zěvъ (“gullet, pharynx”)

   *po (“on”) + *kryti (“to hide, to cover”) → *pokryvъ (“roof, ceiling”)

   *ryti (“to dig”) → *ryvъ (“burst”)

2. Deverbal, forming abstract or collective nouns from verbs

   *glijati (“to mix clay and water”) → *glěvъ (“slime”)

   *gňiti (“to gnaw”) → *gněvъ (“anger”)

   possibly *merti (“to die”) → *morvъ (“ant”) (former i-stem)

   *verti (“to turn, to curve”) → *vьrvь (“rope”) (i-stem)

   *dьržati (“to hold”) → *dьržava (“state”) (ā-stem)

   *piti (“to drink”) → *pivo (“beverage”)

3. From abstract nouns in *-st-, forms abstract neutral nouns. Equivalent to *-ьstvo (see there for examples)
4. From causative verbs in *-iti, forms resultant or instrumental neutral nouns. Equivalent to *-ivo (see there for examples)

Declension

Declension of *-vъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-vъ	*-va	*-vi
genitive	*-va	*-vu	*-vъ
dative	*-vu	*-voma	*-vomъ
accusative	*-vъ	*-va	*-vy
instrumental	*-vъmь, *-vomь*	*-voma	*-vy
locative	*-vě	*-vu	*-věxъ
vocative	*-ve	*-va	*-vi

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-vъ

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -въ (-vŭ)
    • Belarusian: -в (-v)
    • Russian: -в (-v), -вый (-vyj)
    • Ukrainian: -в (-v), -вий (-vyj)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: -въ (-vŭ)

    Glagolitic: -ⰲⱏ (-vŭ)

  • Bulgarian: -в (-v)
  • Macedonian: -в (-v)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -в

    Latin script: -v

  • Slovene: -v
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -ví
  • Polish: -wy
  • Slovak: -v

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Indo-European *-wōs. Cognate with Lithuanian -us (Etymology 4).

Suffix

*-vъ

1. Deverbal, forming past active participles

   *byti (“to be”) → *byvъ (“having been”)

Declension

Indefinite declension of *-vъ

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vъ	*-vъši	*-vъ
genitive	*-vъša	*-vъšę̇	*-vъša
dative	*-vъšu	*-vъši	*-vъšu
accusative	*-vъšь	*-vъšǫ	*-vъ
instrumental	*-vъšemь	*-vъšejǫ	*-vъšemь
locative	*-vъši	*-vъši	*-vъši
vocative	*-vъšu	*-vъše	*-vъše
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vъša	*-vъši	*-vъši
genitive	*-vъšu	*-vъšu	*-vъšu
dative	*-vъšema	*-vъšama	*-vъšema
accusative	*-vъša	*-vъši	*-vъši
instrumental	*-vъšema	*-vъšama	*-vъšema
locative	*-vъšu	*-vъšu	*-vъšu
vocative	*-vъša	*-vъši	*-vъši
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vъše	*-vъšę̇	*-vъša
genitive	*-vъšь	*-vъšь	*-vъšь
dative	*-vъšemъ	*-vъšamъ	*-vъšemъ
accusative	*-vъšę̇	*-vъšę̇	*-vъša
instrumental	*-vъši	*-vъšami	*-vъši
locative	*-vъšixъ	*-vъšaxъ	*-vъšixъ
vocative	*-vъši	*-vъšę̇	*-vъša

Definite declension of *-vъ

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vъšьjь	*-vъšija	*-vъšeje
genitive	*-vъšajego	*-vъšę̇ję̇	*-vъšajego
dative	*-vъšujemu	*-vъšiji	*-vъšujemu
accusative	*-vъšьjь	*-vъšǫjǫ	*-vъšeje
instrumental	*-vъšijimь	*-vъšǫjǫ	*-vъšijimь
locative	*-vъšijemь	*-vъšiji	*-vъšijemь
vocative	*-vъšьjь	*-vъšaja	*-vъšeje
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vъšaja	*-vъšiji	*-vъšiji
genitive	*-vъšuju	*-vъšuju	*-vъšuju
dative	*-vъšijima	*-vъšijima	*-vъšijima
accusative	*-vъšaja	*-vъšiji	*-vъšiji
instrumental	*-vъšijima	*-vъšijima	*-vъšijima
locative	*-vъšuju	*-vъšuju	*-vъšuju
vocative	*-vъšaja	*-vъšiji	*-vъšiji
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-vъšeji	*-vъšę̇ję̇	*-vъšaja
genitive	*-vъšьjixъ	*-vъšьjixъ	*-vъšьjixъ
dative	*-vъšijimъ	*-vъšijimъ	*-vъšijimъ
accusative	*-vъšę̇ję̇	*-vъšę̇ję̇	*-vъšaja
instrumental	*-vъšijimi	*-vъšijimi	*-vъšijimi
locative	*-vъšijixъ	*-vъšijixъ	*-vъšijixъ
vocative	*-vъšiji	*-vъšę̇ję̇	*-vъšaja

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -въ (-vŭ)
    • Belarusian: -ўшы (-ŭšy)
    • Russian: -в (-v), -вши (-vši), -вший (-všij)
    • Ukrainian: -вши (-všy), -вший (-všyj)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: -въ (-vŭ)
  • Bulgarian: -вш (-vš)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -вши

    Latin script: -vši

  • Slovene: -vši
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -vší
  • Old Polish: -w
    • Polish: -wszy, -łszy
  • Slovak: -vši

Further reading

• Duridunov et al. (1991): "Наставки на -v-" in Граматика на Старобългарския език (in Bulgarian), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, p. 178
• J. Halla-aho (2006): "u-stem adjectives" in Problems of Proto-Slavic Historical Nominal Morphology, University of Helsenki, p. 89