Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-atъ

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

Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *-āˀtas, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos. Technically, could also reflect Proto-Indo-European *-eh₃tós, though, this suffix is encountered only sporadically in lemmas of uncertain origin, e.g. Ancient Greek κῑβωτός (kībōtós, “coffer, wooden box, container”). See also athematic Ancient Greek -ής (-ḗs) (gen. -ῆτος (-êtos)), attested for instance in ἀργής (argḗs, “shiny”), πένης (pénēs, “poor”), βλής (blḗs, “thrown”).

In loanwords, reflects Latin -ātus, Ancient Greek -ᾰτος (-atos) or Proto-Indo-Iranian *-ātas as in demotic Church Slavonic креватъ (krevatŭ, “bed, coach”), borrowed from Ancient Greek κράββατος (krábbatos, “bed”), or Proto-Slavic *xorvatъ from a Scythian ethnonym, rendered as Χοροάθος (Khoroáthos) in Ancient Greek.

Suffix 1

*-а̀tъ m

1. Forms agent or instrument nouns from reanalyzed adjectives

   *sǫpostatъ (“adversary, opponent”) ← *sъpostati (“to juxtapose, to оppose”)

   *kosatъ (“pigtail, dorsal fin (of fish, sharks or cetacea)”) ← *kosa (“hair”)

   *lopata f (“shovel, spade”) ← *lopъ (“sheet, leaf”)

Alternative forms

• *-ata f, *-ato n
• *-yto n (when appended to u-stems)

Declension

Declension of *-atъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-atъ	*-ata	*-ati
genitive	*-ata	*-atu	*-atъ
dative	*-atu	*-atoma	*-atomъ
accusative	*-atъ	*-ata	*-aty
instrumental	*-atъmь, *-atomь*	*-atoma	*-aty
locative	*-atě	*-atu	*-atěxъ
vocative	*-ate	*-ata	*-ati

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

Suffix 2

*-àtъ

1. From agents, creates adjectives denoting a property or characteristic, usually with hyperbolic connotation

   *bȏgъ (“wealth, share; god”) → *bogàtъ (“wealthy”)

   *mǫžь (“man”) → *(vъz)mǫžàtъ (“masculine, manly”)

2. From objects, creates adjectives denoting a characteristic or shape

   *kostь (“bone”) → *kostàtъ (“having prominent bones, bony”)

   *dȇrvo (“wood; tree”) → *dervàtъ (“abounding in trees, woody”)

   *ȃje (“egg”) → *ajàtъ (“ovate, egg-shaped”)

   *krьstъ (“crucifix”) → *krьstàtъ (“cross, transverse”)

3. From body parts, creates adjectives referring to the respective part

   *bordà (“beard”) → *bordàtъ (“bearded”)

   *čelò (“forehead”) → *čelàtъ (“having large/prominent forehead”)

   *usta (“mouth”) → *ustàtъ (“having big mouth; figr. chatty, garrulous”)

   *uxo (“ear”) → *ušàtъ (“having prominent ears”)

4. From adjectives extended with *-ovъ, creates approximative doublets of the original adjective (somewhat like -ish in English). Equivalent to *-ovàtъ

   From o-stem adjectives:

   *glupъ (“dumb, stupid”) → *glupovàtъ (“simple-minded”)

   *ostrъ (“acute, sharp”) → *ostrovàtъ (“pointy, relatively sharp”)

   From former i-stem adjectives:

   *grozьnъ (“ugly, terrible”) → *grozьnovàtъ (“unpleasant, bad-tempered”)

   *pьlnъ (“full”) → *pьlnovàtъ (“tending towards fullness, relatively full”)

   From former u-stem adjectives:

   *lьgъkъ (“light, not heavy”) → *lьgъkovàtъ (“lightweight, relatively light”)

   *mękъkъ (“soft”) → *mękъkovàtъ (“softish, relatively soft”)

Declension

Indefinite declension of *-atъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-atъ	*-ata	*-ato
genitive	*-ata	*-aty	*-ata
dative	*-atu	*-atě	*-atu
accusative	*-atъ	*-atǫ	*-ato
instrumental	*-atomь	*-atojǫ	*-atomь
locative	*-atě	*-atě	*-atě
vocative	*-ate	*-ato	*-ato
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-ata	*-atě	*-atě
genitive	*-atu	*-atu	*-atu
dative	*-atoma	*-atama	*-atoma
accusative	*-ata	*-atě	*-atě
instrumental	*-atoma	*-atama	*-atoma
locative	*-atu	*-atu	*-atu
vocative	*-ata	*-atě	*-atě
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-ati	*-aty	*-ata
genitive	*-atъ	*-atъ	*-atъ
dative	*-atomъ	*-atamъ	*-atomъ
accusative	*-aty	*-aty	*-ata
instrumental	*-aty	*-atami	*-aty
locative	*-atěxъ	*-ataxъ	*-atěxъ
vocative	*-ati	*-aty	*-ata

Definite declension of *-atъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-atъjь	*-ataja	*-atoje
genitive	*-atajego	*-atyję̇	*-atajego
dative	*-atujemu	*-atěji	*-atujemu
accusative	*-atъjь	*-atǫjǫ	*-atoje
instrumental	*-atyjimь	*-atǫjǫ	*-atyjimь
locative	*-atějemь	*-atěji	*-atějemь
vocative	*-atъjь	*-ataja	*-atoje
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-ataja	*-atěji	*-atěji
genitive	*-atuju	*-atuju	*-atuju
dative	*-atyjima	*-atyjima	*-atyjima
accusative	*-ataja	*-atěji	*-atěji
instrumental	*-atyjima	*-atyjima	*-atyjima
locative	*-atuju	*-atuju	*-atuju
vocative	*-ataja	*-atěji	*-atěji
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-atiji	*-atyję̇	*-ataja
genitive	*-atъjixъ	*-atъjixъ	*-atъjixъ
dative	*-atyjimъ	*-atyjimъ	*-atyjimъ
accusative	*-atyję̇	*-atyję̇	*-ataja
instrumental	*-atyjimi	*-atyjimi	*-atyjimi
locative	*-atyjixъ	*-atyjixъ	*-atyjixъ
vocative	*-atiji	*-atyję̇	*-ataja

See also

• *-tъ
• *-ačь
• *-astъ

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-atъ

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-ata

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -атъ (-atŭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: -атый (-atyj)
      • Belarusian: -а́ты (-áty)
      • Ukrainian: -а́тий (-átyj)
    • Russian: -а́тый (-átyj)
  • Old Novgorodian: -ате (-ate)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: -а́т (-át)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -ат

    Latin script: -at

  • Slovene: -àt
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -atý
  • Polish: -aty
  • Slovak: -atý
  • Slovincian: -aty
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: -aty
    • Lower Sorbian: -aty

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1974), “*ajatъ(jь)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 1 (*a – *besědьlivъ), Moscow: Nauka, page 61
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1990), “*lopata”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 16 (*lokadlo – *lъživьcь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 39