Reconstruction:Proto-Turkic/-ni

This Proto-Turkic 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-Turkic

Alternative forms

• *-nï
• *-n
• *-ïn
• *-in
• *-ïg
• *-ig
• *-g

Etymology

Perhaps earlier *-nig if so, cognate with the form *-ig.

Suffix

*-ni

1. Suffix creating the accusative case.

   ‎*biŕ (“we”) + ‎*-ni → ‎*biŕni (“us (accusative)”)

   (Old Turkic) Synonym: *-ig

Usage notes

1. (Old Turkic) Old Turkic instead uses an -ig variant that is entirely replaced by -ni by Middle Turkic.

   ‎*at (“horse”) + ‎*-ni → ‎*atïg (“the horse (accusative)”)

2. (Common Turkic) The third person possessive suffix is taken without the letter -i.

   ‎*anïŋ ebi (“his/her/its house”) + ‎*-ni → ‎*anïŋ ebin (“his/her/its house (accusative)”)

3. (Old Turkic) The first and second person singular possessive suffix instead takes the form -in.

   ‎*beniŋ ebim (“my house”) + ‎*-ni → ‎*beniŋ ebimin (“my house (accusative)”)

   ‎*seniŋ ebiŋ (“your house”) + ‎*-ni → ‎*seniŋ ebiŋin (“your house (accusative)”)

Related terms

• *-ka (“dative case”)
• *-niŋ (“genitive case”)
• *-de (“locative case”)
• *-den (“ablative case”)
• *-gerü (“allative case”)
• *-če (“equative case”)

Descendants

• Oghur:
  • Bulgar: نَ- (-ne, -na)
    • Chuvash: -не (-ne)
• Common Turkic:

• Oghuz:
  • Old Anatolian Turkish:
    • Azerbaijani: (after consonant) -i, -ı, (after vowel) -ni, -nı
    • Gagauz: (after consonant) -i, -ı, (after vowel) -yi, -yı
    • Ottoman Turkish:
      • Turkish: (after consonant) -i, -ı, (after vowel) -yi, -yı
  • Salar: -ni, -nı
  • Turkmen: (after consonant) -i, -y, (after vowel) -ni, -ny
• Karluk:
  • Uzbek: -ni
• Kipchak:
  • South Kipchak:
    • Kazakh: -ді (-dı), -ні (-nı), -ті (-tı), -ды (-dy), -ны (-ny), -ты (-ty), -н (-n)
  • Kyrgyz-Kipchak:
    • Kyrgyz: -ни (-ni), -ны (-nı), -ну (-nu), -нү (-nü), -ди (-di), -ды (-dı), -ду (-du), -дү (-dü), -ти (-ti), -ты (-tı), -ту (-tu), -тү (-tü)
• Siberian:
  • Old Turkic: 𐰤𐰃- (-ni), 𐰤- (-n), 𐰏- (-ig)

References

• Gabain, Annemarie Von (2013) Berrin Akçalı, transl., Eski Türkçede Zamirler‎^[1], volume 61, number 1, Belleten, pages 131–142}
• Tekin, Talât (2000) Orhon Türkçesi Grameri [a Grammer of Orkhon Turkic (Turkish version)]‎^[2] (in Turkish), Ankara, →ISBN, pages 107-110