*-(i)jaz³
Runic: (ᛁ)ᛃᚨᛉ Pronunciation: /i.jɑz/suffix · forms adjectives · ja-stem
Function
forms denominal adjectives meaning ‘having, furnished with, characterized by, made of, or pertaining to’ the base noun
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *-yó-s, with Sievers-law allomorph *-iyó-s, the masculine nominative singular of the relational/possessive adjective suffix *-yó-/*-iyó-. The original sense was broadly ‘belonging to, connected with, characterized by, having’, whence Proto-Germanic denominal adjectives in *-(i)jaz, feminine *-(i)jǭ, neuter *-(i)ją, meaning ‘having X, characterized by X, pertaining to X’. Cognate with Latin-ius, Ancient Greek -ιος (-ios), and Sanskrit -य (-ya) (Fulk 2018: 213–14; 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
Strong declension
| Case | Sg. Masc. | Sg. Fem. | Sg. Neut. | Pl. Masc. | Pl. Fem. | Pl. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | -(i)jaz | -(i)jō | -(i)ją, -atō | -(i)jai | -(i)jôz | -(i)jō |
| Acc. | -(i)janǭ | -(i)jǭ | -(i)ją, -atō | -(i)janz | -(i)jōz | -(i)jō |
| Gen. | -(i)jas, -īs | -(i)jaizōz | -(i)jas, -īs | -(i)jaizǫ̂ | -(i)jaizǫ̂ | -(i)jaizǫ̂ |
| Dat. | -(i)jammai | -(i)jaizōi | -(i)jammai | -(i)jaimaz | -(i)jaimaz | -(i)jaimaz |
| Inst. | -(i)janō | -(i)jaizō | -(i)janō | -(i)jaimiz | -(i)jaimiz | -(i)jaimiz |
Weak declension
| Case | Sg. Masc. | Sg. Fem. | Sg. Neut. | Pl. Masc. | Pl. Fem. | Pl. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | -(i)jô | -(i)jǭ | -(i)jô | -(i)janiz | -(i)jōniz | -(i)jōnō |
| Acc. | -(i)janų | -(i)jōnų | -(i)jô | -(i)janunz | -(i)jōnunz | -(i)jōnō |
| Gen. | -īniz | -(i)jōniz | -īniz | -(i)janǫ̂ | -(i)jōnǫ̂ | -(i)janǫ̂ |
| Dat. | -īni | -(i)jōni | -īni | -(i)jammaz | -(i)jōmaz | -(i)jammaz |
| Inst. | -īnē | -(i)jōnē | -īnē | -(i)jammiz | -(i)jōmiz | -(i)jammiz |
Descendants
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*-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
-
-i (Old Dutch)
-
-e (Middle Dutch)
- -e (Dutch)
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-e (Middle Dutch)
-
-i (Old Dutch)
-
*-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
-
-e (Old English)
-
-e (Middle English)
- -e (Middle Scots)
- -e (English)
-
-e (Middle English)
-
-e (Old English)
-
*-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
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-e (Frisian)
- -e (Saterland Frisian)
-
-e (Frisian)
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*-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
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-e, -i (Old High German)
- -e (Middle High German)
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-e, -i (Old High German)
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*-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
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-i (Old Saxon)
- -e (Middle Low German)
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-i (Old Saxon)
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-ᛁᛉ (-iʀ) (Proto-Norse)
- -r (Old Norse)