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I was wondering whether anyone knows the Proto-Indo-European equivalent of the Greek suffixes -ina (-ίνα) or -issa (-ισσα), or whether PIE has any different feminising suffixes that work similarly?

Fleur
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2 Answers2

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The main PIE feminine derivational suffix was -ih2: compare *deiu-o- 'god' with *deiu-ih2 'goddess' (Skt. devī).

Incidentally, this suffix is actually the indirect source of the Greek suffix -ssa: when added to a stem ending in -t or -k, you get e.g. *melit - *melit-ih2, which becomes in Greek *melitya and then melissa (Attic melitta). From cases like these the suffix was reinterpreted as being -ssa and extended to other types of stems (e.g. basilissa 'queen').

TKR
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The feminine suffix in PIE is believed to be -i̯ea̯, though the ablaut grade in nominative is not certain. Traditionally reconstructed as -i̯ea̯ (because of long vowels in Latin), but Beekes hypothesizes that the Nominative form was -ia̯, while in other cases it could become -i̯ea̯. A form -a̯/-ea̯ also can be seen in some words.

The suffix is believed to originate from the suffix -ia̯ for collective number.

Some reconstructed PIE words with the suffix include

a̯oldhia̯ a dugout boat

a̯eua̯ia̯ grandmother

bhrea̯tria̯ brotherhood

colia̯ hiding place, dug-out

e̯rudhia̯ rust

deiu̯ia̯ goddess

e̯sntia̯ being

ma̯eghu̯ia̯ young woman

neptia̯ nephew (fem)

pie̯u̯eria̯ fat woman

preu̯ia̯ lady, mistress

potnia̯ lady

u̯eĝhia̯ track, road

  • Most animals had feminine form

a̯ena̯tia̯ duck

e̯ele̯nia̯ female elk

cu̯nmusia̯ dog-fly

melitia̯ honey-bee

plusia̯ flea

u̯lq̆ia̯ she-wolf

The suffix could be combined with other suffixes as well, to form constructs like -ikea̯/-ika̯/-ikia̯, -tria̯/-tra̯/-teria̯, -nia̯, -u̯ia̯ etc.

Anixx
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  • Zero grade is the nominative seems pretty clear, given Greek -ia and Skt. -i:. – TKR Aug 25 '14 at 23:07
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    (In case it isn't clear to the OP, this is the same suffix I mentioned in my answer -- just a different transcription.) – TKR Aug 25 '14 at 23:08
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    @Anixx: I've seen your PIE reconstructions in a bunch of threads and I'm always puzzled by what your notation represents. What are the 'inverted under-breves' meant to be? Semivowels? Do you not reconstruct laryngeals? – jogloran Aug 26 '14 at 07:03
  • @TKR actually tha ablaut grade could be different per word, like the ablaut case in -os/-s, don't you think so? – Anixx Aug 26 '14 at 11:34
  • Also, at of general curiosity, do you use a single source for your PIE facts or do they stem from multiple sources? – Olivier Aug 26 '14 at 12:15
  • @Olivier there are multiple sources always. What exactly facts do you mean? – Anixx Aug 26 '14 at 13:19
  • Your first sentence, to start with. Then all the rest. – Olivier Aug 26 '14 at 14:35
  • @Olivier multiple sources, Beekes, Fortson and a lot of others. Is there something that looks doubtful for you so that you ask for supporting sources? Also see the second comment by TKR. – Anixx Aug 26 '14 at 14:42
  • No, no, nothing looks doubtful to me (in fact, I'm completely ignorant of this topic), I was just hoping to learn reliable sources for these questions and since you obviously know a lot about it, I wondered where you had acquired your knowledge (that said, supporting sources are always good, but in that case, it was just sheer curiosity on my part). – Olivier Aug 26 '14 at 15:15
  • actually tha ablaut grade could be different per word, like the ablaut case in -os/-s, don't you think so? -- I'm not sure; which -os/-s do you mean? In any case, what's the evidence for an e-grade in the nominative here? All the words you list show zero grade. – TKR Aug 26 '14 at 16:59
  • @TKR I mean there are thematic and athematic nouns, some having ending -os, others having ending -s in nominative. The same could be with the feminizing suffix. – Anixx Aug 26 '14 at 17:29
  • But that's not ablaut, that's a lexical difference in stem type. The nominative ending is the same -s in both types. – TKR Aug 26 '14 at 17:46
  • @TKR hmm I saw this theory in some sources, but most sources count the thematic vowel a part of the ending. The ablaut in the ending, similar to the ablaut in suffixes and the root. – Anixx Aug 26 '14 at 18:07
  • I don't think I've ever encountered that view of the thematic/athematic difference. Since the thematic vowel occurs in all the cases, I don't see how it can be part of the nominative ending. – TKR Aug 26 '14 at 20:17
  • This answer confuses two suffixes: PIE ih2/yeh2 and PIE iH (commonly denoted as ih2, although I don't know what the basis would be for saying it's h2). A word like deyw-ih2-/-yeh2- "goddess" is formed with the former suffix, and a word like wlkw-iH- "she-wolf" is formed with the latter suffix. The difference between these two suffixes is seen in their inflection, cf. e.g. the nom.sg. fomrs deywih2 vs. wlkwiHs. – Sverre Aug 27 '14 at 19:16
  • @Sverre source for the form "wlkwiHs"? – Anixx Aug 27 '14 at 19:20
  • @Anixx If it's allowed, I can refer to my own thesis on this suffix. – Sverre Aug 27 '14 at 19:54
  • @Sverre feel free to make your own answer. I do not know about your theory. – Anixx Aug 27 '14 at 20:06
  • @Anixx I agree with TKR's answer, actually. Also, what I write about these two suffixes in PIE in my thesis is not idiosyncratic. Anyone claiming that the nom.sg. forms were not deywih2 vs. wlkwiHs would be idiosyncratic. And the field of PIE research is filled with idiosyncratic opinions, unfortunately ... – Sverre Aug 27 '14 at 20:12
  • @Sverre TKR does not mention two suffixes, he mentions only one. You are free to add an answer that would mention the second one. – Anixx Aug 27 '14 at 20:17