Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ь

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

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-is, from Proto-Indo-European *-is. Cognate with Lithuanian -is, Old Prussian -is.

Suffix

*-ь f Forms nouns:

1. From adjectives

   Synonyms: *-ina, *-ota, *-yni

   *glǫbь ← *glǫbъ (“deep”)

   *golь ← *golъ (“naked, nude, bare; bald”)

   *bělь ← *bělъ (“white”)

   *glušь ← *gluxъ (“deaf”)

   *moldь ← *moldъ (“young”)

   *četvьrtь (“quarter”) ← *četvьrtъ (“fourth”)

2. From participles

   Synonyms: *-ina, *-ica, *-ъka, *-ъkъ, *-ьcь

   *kopanь ← *kopanъ ← *kopati (“to dig”)

   *oranь ← *oranъ ← *orati (“to plow/plough”)

   *dьranь ← *dьranъ ← *dьrati (“to tear, flay”)

   *opuxlь ← *opuxlъ ← *opuxnǫti

   *orsědlь ← *orsědlъ ← *orsěsti

3. From verbs

   Synonym: *-ъ

   *obuvь (“footwear”) ← **obovь ← *obuti (“to put on footwear”)

   *blędь ← *blęsti (pres. *blędǫ)

   *gręzь ← *gręzti (pres. *gręzǫ)

   *rěčь ← *reťi (“to say”) (pres. *rekǫ)

   *mazь ← *mazati (“to smear”) (pres. *mažǫ)

Declension

Declension of *-ь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ь	*-i	*-i
genitive	*-i	*-ьju, *-ju*	*-ьjь, *-i*
dative	*-i	*-ьma	*-ьmъ
accusative	*-ь	*-i	*-i
instrumental	*-ьjǫ, *-jǫ*	*-ьma	*-ьmi
locative	*-i	*-ьju, *-ju*	*-ьxъ
vocative	*-i	*-i	*-i

^* 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).

Alternative forms

• *-ja

Derived terms

Proto-Slavic terms suffixed with *-ь

Descendants

In many descendants this suffix became inseparable, see also derived terms.

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -ь (-ĭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: -ь (-ʹ)
      • Belarusian: -ь (-ʹ)
      • Ukrainian: -ь (-ʹ)
    • Russian: -ь (-ʹ)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: -ь (-ĭ)

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*glǫbь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 144
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1980), “*golь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 7 (*golvačь – *gyžati), Moscow: Nauka, page 16
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1975), “*bělь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 2 (*bez – *bratrъ), Moscow: Nauka, page 84
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*glušь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 154
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1992), “*moldь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 19 (*męs⁽'⁾arь – *morzakъ), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 179
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1984), “*kopanь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 11 (*konьcь – *kotьna(ja)), Moscow: Nauka, page 16
• Trubachyov, O., Zhuravlyov, A. F., editors (2005), “*oranь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 32 (*obžьnъ – *orzbotati), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 104
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1978), “*dьranь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 5 (*dělo – *dьržьlь), Moscow: Nauka, page 217
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (2002), “*obpuxlь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 29 (*obpovědati – *obsojьnica), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 34
• Zhuravlyov, A. F., editor (2008), “*orzsědlь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 34 (*orzmajь – *orzstegajь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 249
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (2003), “*obuvь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 30 (*obsojьnikъ – *obvedьnъjь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 252
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1975), “*blędь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 2 (*bez – *bratrъ), Moscow: Nauka, page 114
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1980), “*gręzь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 7 (*golvačь – *gyžati), Moscow: Nauka, page 125
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1992), “*mazь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 18 (*matoga – *mękyšьka), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 34