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”) → *matьka (“mommy”)

   *teta (“aunt”) → *tetъka (“auntie”)

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

   *pǫpъ (“belly button”) → *pǫpъka (“pimple”)

   *kotъ (“cat”) → *kotъka (“young cat”)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   *bolьjь (“painful”) → *bolъka (“acute pain”)

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

   *-měrъ (“considerable, great”) → *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”) → *prošьka (“remission, pardon”)

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

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

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

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

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

   *svirati (“to play a music instrument”) → *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”) → *dvojьka (“pair”)

   *trьje (“three”) → *trojьka (“triple”)

   *četyre (“four”) → *četvorъka (“set of four”)

   *pętь (“five”) → *pętorъka (“set of five”)

   *desętь (“ten”) → *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
  • 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