*-(i)slą

Runic: (ᛁ)ᛊᛚᚨ Pronunciation: /i.slɑ̃/

suffix · forms nouns · neuter · a-stem

Function

forms neuter deverbal nouns, originally denoting instruments or means; later also products, results, or actions associated with the verbal base

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *-tlo-m. The *-s- arose in formations where *-tlo- was added to dental-final bases: *-d-tlo- / *-t-tlo- > *-ttlo- > Proto-Germanic *-sslo- > *-slo- (Fulk 2018: 113), with later reanalysis as an independent suffix. Compare PGmc *baitīslą (with epenthetic *-i- due to Siever’s Law after the heavy root), from PIE *bʰoid-tlo-m (de Vries 1977: s.v. beizl, beisl; Olsen 1988: §4.2.7) and possibly *hunslą from PIE *ḱwen-(t)-tlo-m (Kroonen 2013: 256–57; Kümmel 2011-2026: 53 n. 1). An alternate form was *-slō (from PIE instrumental/collective *-sleh₂); compare *þinhslō from PIE *tengʰ-sleh₂. Cognate with Proto-Slavic *-slo/*-sla (Derksen 2008: s.vv. *tesla; *teslò) . Possibly related to *-ilaz.

Paradigm

CaseSingularPlural
Nom.-slą-slō
Acc.-slą-slō
Gen.-slas, -slis-slǫ̂
Dat.-slai-slamaz
Inst.-slō-slamiz
Voc.-slą-slō

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Descendants

  • Proto-West Germanic -sl
    • *sl (Old Dutch)
      • sel (Dutch)
  • Proto-West Germanic -sl
    • -sl, sel (Old English)
      • -sel, sil, sol, sul, syl, sell (Middle English)
        • -sel (English)
  • Proto-West Germanic -sl
    • -sla, sala (Old Saxon)
      • -sel (Low German)
  • Proto-West Germanic -sl
    • -sala, sila (Old High German)
      • -sel (German)
  • -sl (Old Norse)
    • -sl (Faroese)
    • -sl (Icelandic)
    • -sl (Norwegian Nynorsk)
  • -sl (Old Norse)
    • -lse (Danish)
      • -lse (Swedish)
  • -sl (Old Norse)
    • -lse, -sl, -sla (Old Swedish)
      • -lse (Norwegian Bokmål)
  • -𐍃𐌻 (-sl) (Gothic)

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