*-(i)jô
Runic: (ᛁ)ᛃᛟ Pronunciation: /i.jɔːː/noun · masculine · an-stem
Meanings
like modern English “-er”; forms masculine agent nouns and personal nouns, often from the zero-grade of the base
Etymology
From Early Germanic *-jan-/*-jōn-, the weak masculine counterpart of agentive and personal nouns in *‑ja-/*-jō-. The formation combines a *j-element, probably related to the Proto-Indo-European relational or appurtenance suffix *-yo-, with the inherited individualizing n-stem inflection. The exact chronology of the combination is uncertain: some formations may continue inherited complex suffixes, while others may have arisen within Germanic through the transfer of ja-stems to the productive weak declension (Kroonen 2011a: 64–65; Lehmann 1986a: §4.2.2; Pronk 2015: 327–29).
Declension
The suffix varies as *-jô/*-ijô based on Siever’s Law: the basic *-jô form is used after a “light” syllable (a short vowel followed by a single consonant), and otherwise, the form becomes *-ijô.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | -(i)jô | -(i)janiz |
| Acc. | -(i)janų | -(i)janunz |
| Gen. | -(i)jiniz | -(i)janǫ̂ |
| Dat. | -(i)jini | -(i)jammaz |
| Inst. | -(i)jinē | -(i)jammiz |
| Voc. | -(i)jô | -(i)janiz |
Descendants
-
*-jō (Proto-West Germanic)
- -o (Old Dutch)
- -a (Old English)
- -a (Old Frisian)
- -o, -eo (Old High German)
- -io (Old Saxon)
-
-i (Old Norse)
- -e (Old Swedish)
- -𐌾𐌰 (-ja) (Gothic)