Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/ajьce

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

Originally a diminutive form of *ȃje (“egg”) +‎ *-ьce (“diminutive suffix”). From Proto-Balto-Slavic *ṓjika, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm. Compare Ossetian айк (ajk), айкӕ (ajkæ, “egg”) (from Proto-Iranian *Hāwyám (“egg”)).

Noun

*ājьcè n

1. egg

Declension

Declension of *ājьcè (soft o-stem, accent paradigm b)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ājьcè	*ajь̀ci	*ajь̀ca
genitive	*ājьcà	*ajьcu	*ajь̀cь
dative	*ājьcù	*ajьcema	*ajь̀cemъ
accusative	*ājьcè	*ajь̀ci	*ajь̀ca
instrumental	*ājьcь̀mь, *ājьcèmь*	*ajьcema	*ajь̀ci
locative	*ājьcì	*ajьcu	*ajь̀cixъ
vocative	*ājьcè	*ajь̀ci	*ajь̀ca

^* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

Alternative forms

• *ȃjьko

Derived terms

• *ajьčęstъ (“egg-like, egg-shaped”)
• *ajьčice (diminutive)
• *ajьčьjь (“pertaining to egg”)
• *ajьčьnъ (“egg-related”)
  • *ajьčьna (“eggness”)
  • *ajьčьnica (“egg dish”)
  • *ajьčьnikъ (“egg product”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: ꙗице (jaice), аице (aice)
    • Old Ruthenian: ꙗйце (jajce), ꙗйцо (jajco), єйцо (jejco)
      • Belarusian: яйцо́ (jajcó)
      • Carpathian Rusyn: я́йце (jájce)
      • Ukrainian: яйце́ (jajcé)
    • Russian: яйцо́ (jajcó); яйце́ (jajcé) (obsolete)
      • Taimyr Pidgin Russian: яйцо (jajco)
  • Old Novgorodian: ꙗице (jaicʹje)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: аице (aice)

    Glagolitic script: ⰰⰹⱌⰵ (aice)

    • Bulgarian: яйце́ (jajcé) (standard); айце́ (ajcé), аце́ (acé), йеце́ (jecé), ейце́ (ejcé) (dialectal)
  • Macedonian: јајце (jajce)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ја́јце; Јајце (“Jajce”) (Bosnian town, toponym)

    Latin script: jájce; Jajce (“Jajce”) (Bosnian town, toponym)

  • Slovene: jájce (“egg; testicle”)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: vajce
    • Czech: vejce
  • East Lechitic:
    • Polish: jajce, jajco, jejce (dialectal, archaic)
    • Silesian: jajco
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: jajco
    • Slovincian: jajcê (“testicle”)
  • Old Slovak: vajce, vajco
    • Pannonian Rusyn: вайцо (vajco)
    • Slovak: vajce; vajco (dialectal)

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1974), “*ajьce”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 1 (*a – *besědьlivъ), Moscow: Nauka, page 63
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “яйцо”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Hrynchyshyn, D. H., editor (1978), “яице”, in Словник староукраїнської мови XIV–XV ст. [Dictionary of the Old Ukrainian Language of the 14ᵗʰ–15ᵗʰ cc.] (in Ukrainian), volume 2 (Н – Ѳ), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, page 579