Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/linь
Proto-Slavic
Alternative forms
Etymology
Cognates may include Lithuanian lýnas, Latvian lĩnis, lĩns, līna, Old Prussian lins, although the correspondence of palatalized vs. velarized endings in Baltic (consistent with the geography of Slavic reflexes of *linь vs. *linъ) rather indicates borrowing. Possibly a suffixal derivation from *linjati (“to moult”).
Greek λινεύς (linéfs, “mullet”) is unrelated, being a back-formation from λινεύω (linévo, “to catch fish with a net”).
Noun
*linь m
Declension
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *linь | *lini | *linьje, *liňe* |
| genitive | *lini | *linьju, *liňu* | *linьjь, *lini* |
| dative | *lini | *linьma | *linьmъ |
| accusative | *linь | *lini | *lini |
| instrumental | *linьmь | *linьma | *linьmi |
| locative | *lini | *linьju, *liňu* | *linьxъ |
| vocative | *lini | *lini | *linьje, *liňe* |
* The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).
Derived terms
- *linьcь
- *linьkъ
- *liňakъ
- *liňevъ, *linovъ
- *liňь
- *linъkъ
Descendants
- East Slavic:
- South Slavic:
- West Slavic:
Further reading
- Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1988), “*linь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 15 (*lětina – *lokačь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 113
- Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “линь”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress