Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-otьja
Proto-Slavic
Etymology
From the combination of *-ota + *-ьja. Productive only in Bulgarian and Macedonian, so likely inherited from Old Church Slavonic. Probably, the construct was influenced by Byzantine Greek forms such as ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “private citizen”) → ἰδιωτεία (“ignorance”).
Suffix
*-otь̀ja f
- Denominal, forming apologetic abstract nouns with negative connotation
- *běda (“trouble, misfortune”) → Macedonian бедотија (bedotija, “misery”)
- *groza (“horror, ugliness”) → *grozotьja (“eyesore”)
- *gnǫsъ (“disgust”) → *gnǫsotьja (“repugnance”)
- *sormъ (“shame”) → *sormotьja (“disgrace”)
- Deadjectival, forming apologetic abstract nouns with negative connotation
- From simple-stem adjectives:
- *samъ (“alone”) → *samotьja (“solitute, loneliness”)
- *krivъ (“curved, awry”) → *krivotьja (“curvature; figur. petulant person”)
- *lošь (“bad”) → *lošetьja (“malice”)
- *tǫpъ (“dump”) → *tǫpotьja (“stupidity, stupid act”)
- *prostъ (“simple”) → *prostotьja (“simplicity, simpleton act”)
- From adjectives in *-ьnъ:
- *bědьnъ (“poor”) → Bulgarian беднотия (bednotija, “poverty”)
- *alčьnъ (“greedy, avid”) → *alčьnotьja (“excessive greed, avidity”)
- *tьmьnъ (“dark, dull”) → *tьmьnotьja (“pitch darkness”)
- *těsnъ (“narrow”) → *těsnotьja (“lack of space, slimness”)
- From simple-stem adjectives:
- Deverbial, forming apologetic abstract nouns with negative connotation
- *mьrsiti (“to pollute, to defile”) → *mьrsotьja (“pollution”)
- *brъkati (“to stir, to mix”) → *brъkotьja (“disorder, absolute mess”)
Declension
Declension of *-otьja (soft a-stem)
singular | dual | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
nominative | *-otьja | *-otьji | *-otьję̇ |
genitive | *-otьję̇ | *-otьju | *-otьjь |
dative | *-otьji | *-otьjama | *-otьjamъ |
accusative | *-otьjǫ | *-otьji | *-otьję̇ |
instrumental | *-otьjejǫ, *-otьjǫ** | *-otьjama | *-otьjami |
locative | *-otьji | *-otьju | *-otьjasъ, *-otьjaxъ* |
vocative | *-otьje | *-otьji | *-otьję̇ |
* -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).
** 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
Category Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-otьja not found
References
- G. Kiselinov (1958): "-отиjа" in Македонска граматика за IV одделение (in Macedonian), Prosvetno delo, page 50
- St. Stoyanov (1983): "-отѝя" in Граматика на съвременния Български книжовен език, vol. II Морфология (in Bulgarian), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 63