*-(i)jaz²
Runic: (ᛁ)ᛃᚨᛉ Pronunciation: /i.jɑz/suffix · forms nouns · masculine · ja-stem
Function
forms relational adjectives and substantivized nominals denoting origin, descent, affiliation, or be-longing; ‘of, from, belonging to, descended from’
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *-yó-s, with Sievers-law allomorph *-iyó-s, the masculine nominative singular of the relational adjective suffix *-yó-/*-iyó-. The original sense was broadly adjectival, ‘belonging to, connected with, characterized by’, from which the Germanic meanings ‘from, of, descended from, affiliated with’ developed. Cognate with Latin -ius, Ancient Greek -ιος (-ios), and Sanskrit -य (-ya), all continuing the same broad Indo-European relational/adjectival suffix (Fulk 2018: 213–14; Krahe & Meid 1969: 70–72; Meier-Brügger 2003: 282–85; Ringe 2017: 326).
Declension
The suffix varies as *-jaz /*-ijaz based on Siever’s Law: the basic *-jaz form is used after a “light” syllable (a short vowel followed by a single consonant), and otherwise, the form becomes *-ijaz.
Paradigm
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | -(i)jaz | -(i)jōz, -(i)jōs |
| Acc. | -(i)ją | -(i)janz |
| Gen. | -(i)jas, -īs | -(i)jǫ̂ |
| Dat. | -(i)jai | -(i)jamaz |
| Inst. | -(i)jō | -(i)jamiz |
| Voc. | -ī | -(i)jōz, -(i)jōs |
Descendants
- -ᛃᚨᛉ (-jaʀ) (Proto-Norse)