Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-inъ

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

Adjective-forming suffix. From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-īˀnas, from Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos. E.g.

• *svinъ (“of or pertaining to pigs”) from Proto-Balto-Slavic *swīˀnas from Proto-Indo-European *suH-iHnos (cognate formation with Latvian svīns (“dirty”), Latin suīnus (“swine”), Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌽 (swein, “pig”)).

Later it was productively applied to inherited i-stems:

• *zvěrь (“beast”) → *zvěrinъ (“beastly, animal”)
• *gostь (“guest”) → *gostinъ (“guest's, guest-”)

The singulative meaning derives from original possessive meaning, for example the meaning of *čeľadinъ “member of the tribe or household” is derived from “belonging to the tribe or household”.

Cognate with Lithuanian collective-forming suffix -ýnas, Latin -īnus. Compare also *-ina for forming both collectives and singulatives (from Proto-Indo-European *-iHneh₂ and *-eyneh₂).

Adjective

*-inъ

1. -ine (of or pertaining to) Creates relative and possessive adjectives from nouns other than o-stems.

Usage notes

This suffix is attached to most noun types, in particular a-stems (feminines). The suffix *-ovъ (and its variant *-evъ) is used with o-stem nouns (masculines and neuters).

Declension

Indefinite declension of *-inъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-inъ	*-ina	*-ino
genitive	*-ina	*-iny	*-ina
dative	*-inu	*-ině	*-inu
accusative	*-inъ	*-inǫ	*-ino
instrumental	*-inomь	*-inojǫ	*-inomь
locative	*-ině	*-ině	*-ině
vocative	*-ine	*-ino	*-ino
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-ina	*-ině	*-ině
genitive	*-inu	*-inu	*-inu
dative	*-inoma	*-inama	*-inoma
accusative	*-ina	*-ině	*-ině
instrumental	*-inoma	*-inama	*-inoma
locative	*-inu	*-inu	*-inu
vocative	*-ina	*-ině	*-ině
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-ini	*-iny	*-ina
genitive	*-inъ	*-inъ	*-inъ
dative	*-inomъ	*-inamъ	*-inomъ
accusative	*-iny	*-iny	*-ina
instrumental	*-iny	*-inami	*-iny
locative	*-iněxъ	*-inaxъ	*-iněxъ
vocative	*-ini	*-iny	*-ina

Definite declension of *-inъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-inъjь	*-inaja	*-inoje
genitive	*-inajego	*-inyję̇	*-inajego
dative	*-inujemu	*-iněji	*-inujemu
accusative	*-inъjь	*-inǫjǫ	*-inoje
instrumental	*-inyjimь	*-inǫjǫ	*-inyjimь
locative	*-inějemь	*-iněji	*-inějemь
vocative	*-inъjь	*-inaja	*-inoje
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-inaja	*-iněji	*-iněji
genitive	*-inuju	*-inuju	*-inuju
dative	*-inyjima	*-inyjima	*-inyjima
accusative	*-inaja	*-iněji	*-iněji
instrumental	*-inyjima	*-inyjima	*-inyjima
locative	*-inuju	*-inuju	*-inuju
vocative	*-inaja	*-iněji	*-iněji
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*-iniji	*-inyję̇	*-inaja
genitive	*-inъjixъ	*-inъjixъ	*-inъjixъ
dative	*-inyjimъ	*-inyjimъ	*-inyjimъ
accusative	*-inyję̇	*-inyję̇	*-inaja
instrumental	*-inyjimi	*-inyjimi	*-inyjimi
locative	*-inyjixъ	*-inyjixъ	*-inyjixъ
vocative	*-iniji	*-inyję̇	*-inaja

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-inъ

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -инъ (-inŭ)
    • Belarusian: -ін (-in)
    • Russian: -ин (-in)
    • Carpathian Rusyn: -ин (-yn)
    • Ukrainian: -ин (-yn)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: -инъ (-inŭ)
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    • Cyrillic script: -ин
    • Latin script: -in
  • Bulgarian: -ин (-in)
• West Slavic:
  • Polish: -iny (eg. maminy (“of or pertaining to a mom”)); -yny (eg. matczyny (“of or pertaining to a mother”))

Noun

*-inъ m

1. Creates singulatives, mostly with consonantal-stem pluralia tantum or collective nouns denoting nationalities, names of residents of an area, names of tribes and place names.

   *bratъ (“brother”) → *bratьja (“brothers (collectively)”) → *bratinъ (“brother”)

   *čeľadь (“family, ancestral community, everyone in household”) → *čeľadinъ (“one belonging to the family, tribe or household”)

   *gospoda (“lords (collectively)”) → *gospodinъ (“master, lord”)

   *ľudь, *ľudьje (“people, folks (collectively)”) → *ľudinъ (“man”)

   *Obre (“Avars”) → *obrinъ (“Avar; giant”)

   *voji (“army”) → *vojinъ (“soldier, warrior”)

   *Rusь (“Rus'”) → *Rusinъ

2. Exceptionally occurs in several unmotivated formations, usually to create an instrument or agent noun

   *melti (“to grind”) → *mьlinъ (“(type of) pancake”) (if not *mъlinъ from molinus)

   *kolti (“to hit with something sharp; to split”) → *kъlinъ (“wedge, splitting tool”)

Declension

Declension of *-inъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-inъ	*-ina	*-ini
genitive	*-ina	*-inu	*-inъ
dative	*-inu	*-inoma	*-inomъ
accusative	*-inъ	*-ina	*-iny
instrumental	*-inъmь, *-inomь*	*-inoma	*-iny
locative	*-ině	*-inu	*-iněxъ
vocative	*-ine	*-ina	*-ini

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

Derived terms

• *-ěninъ
• *-janinъ

References

• Sławski, Franciszek, editor (1974), “*-inъ”, in Słownik prasłowiański [Proto-Slavic Dictionary] (in Polish), volume 1 (a – bьzděti), Wrocław: Ossolineum, page 120