Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ъka

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

Extended version of Proto-Indo-European *-keh₂, appended to thematic roots. The suffix could be attached to any stem (o-, u-, i-, or consonant).

Suffix

*-ъka f

1. Denominal, forms diminutives.

   Synonym: *-ica, *-ъlа (with additional derogatory flair)

   ‎*mati (“mother”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*matьka, *maťerъka (“mommy”)

   ‎*teta (“aunt”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*tetъka (“auntie”)

   ‎*gora (“mountain”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*gorъka (“small mountain, hill”)

   ‎*pǫpъ (“belly button”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*pǫpъka (“pimple”)

   ‎*kotъ (“cat”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*kotъka (“young cat”)

   ‎*bylьje (“herb plant, medicine”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*bylьka (“herb”)

   ‎*lъga (“oval tool”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*lyžьka (“spoon”) (along with *lъžica)

   ‎*vidla (“pitchfork”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*vidlъka (“fork”) (along with *vidlica)

   ‎*pala (“stake, pole”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*palъka (“cane, stick”) (along with *palica)

2. Deadjectival, denoting a carrier of the specified property.

   ‎*bělъ (“white”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*bělъka (“something or somebody white”)

   ‎*čьrnъ (“black”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*čьrnъka (“something or somebody black”)

   ‎*bolь (“painful”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*bolъka (“acute pain”)

   ‎*polъ (“half”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*polъka (“one half; type of dance”)

   ‎*-měrъ (“considerable, great”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*měrъka (“measure, estimate”)

3. Deverbal, denoting a (feminine) agent or a tool performing the specified action or a result from the action.

   ‎*prositi (“to ask, to beg”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*prošьka (“remission, pardon”)

   ‎*dojiti (“to nurse, to give milk”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*dojьka (“breast, wet-nurse”)

   ‎*krojiti (“to cut, to shape”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*krojьka (“embroidery, needlework”)

   ‎*brojiti (“to count”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*brojьka (“account, number”)

   ‎*bьrati (“to gather, to pick”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*sъbirъka (“gathering, assemblage”)

   ‎*pьrati (“to propel”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*perъka (“fin, propeller, vane (of a machine)”)

   ‎*svirati (“to play a music instrument”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*svirъka (“flute”)

4. From numerals, denoting a set of the respective number. For numerals between 4 and 8, the supplementary *-orъ is affixed.

   ‎*dъva (“two”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*dvojьka (“pair”)

   ‎*trьje (“three”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*trojьka (“triple”)

   ‎*četyre (“four”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*četvorъka (“set of four”)

   ‎*pętь (“five”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*pętorъka (“set of five”)

   ‎*desętь (“ten”) + ‎*-ъka → ‎*desętъka (“decade”)

Alternative forms

• *-jьka (when attached to roots ending in *-j- or some i-stems)

Declension

Declension of *-ъka (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ъka	*-ъcě	*-ъky
genitive	*-ъky	*-ъku	*-ъkъ
dative	*-ъcě	*-ъkama	*-ъkamъ
accusative	*-ъkǫ	*-ъcě	*-ъky
instrumental	*-ъkojǫ, *-ъkǫ**	*-ъkama	*-ъkami
locative	*-ъcě	*-ъku	*-ъkasъ, *-ъkaxъ*
vocative	*-ъko	*-ъcě	*-ъky

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** 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).

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-ъka

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -ъка (-ŭka)
    • Belarusian: -ка (-ka)
    • Russian: -ка (-ka)
    • Ukrainian: -ка (-ka)

• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: -ъка (-ŭka)

    Glagolitic: -ⱏⰽⰰ (-ŭka)

  • Bulgarian: -ка (-ka)
  • Macedonian: -ка (-ka)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -ка

    Latin script: -ka

  • Slovene: -ka

• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -ka
  • Polish: -ka
  • Polabian: -kă
  • Slovak: -ka
  • Slovincian: -ka
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: -ka
    • Lower Sorbian: -ka

References

• Šekli, Matej (2012) “Besedotvorni pomeni samostalniških izpeljank v praslovanščini”, in Philological Studies‎^[1] (in Slovene), volume 10, number 1, Skopje, Perm, Ljubljana, Zagreb, pages 115–32