*-į̄

Runic: ᛁ Pronunciation: /ĩː/

suffix · forms nouns · feminine · īn-stem

Function

forms feminine abstract nouns from adjectives, denoting ‘the condition, degree, quality, or state of being X’; comparable to English -ness, -ity, and -th

Etymology

From pre-Germanic *-īn, from Proto-Indo-European *-ih₂ + *-n-. Its use as a productive abstract-noun suffix is a Germanic innovation. Proto-Germanic feminine ōn-stems created from PIE eh₂-stems are a parallel development: pre-Germanic *-ī + *-n : pre-Germanic *-ō + *-n (Fulk 2018: 172–73). The suffix became productive in abstract nouns from adjectives, e.g. *hauhį̄ from *hauhaz, and competed with inherited *-iþō in forming abstract feminine nouns.

Paradigm

CaseSingularPlural
Nom.-į̄-īniz
Acc.-īnų-īnunz
Gen.-īniz-īnǫ̂
Dat.-īni-īmaz
Inst.-īnē-īmiz
Voc.-į̄-īniz

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Descendants

  • *-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
    • *-i (Old Dutch)
      • -e (Middle Dutch)
        • -e (Dutch)
  • *-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -u (Old English)
      • -e (Middle English)
  • *-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -e (Old Frisian)
      • -e (North Frisian)
      • -e (Saterland Frisian)
  • *-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -ī (Old High German)
      • -e (Middle High German)
        • -e (German)
  • *-ī (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -i (Old Saxon)
      • -e (Middle Low German)
  • -i (Old Norse)
    • -i (Faroese)
    • -i (Icelandic)
    • -e, -a (Norwegian)
  • -𐌴𐌹 (-ei) (Gothic)

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