Re: [tied] The Hoffmann suffix

On 05-02-18 10:29, Piotr Gasiorowski wrote:

> Torsten,
>
> Here's an example to illustrate various aspects of the behaviour of the
> Hoffmann "suffix" (HS).
>
> Since words involving the HS were compound-like, the thematic vowel
> became *i at least in some cases (presumably representing an archaic
> type of Hoffmann compounds). This produced derivatives in *-i-h3on-,
> often with a collective meaning:
>
> (a) *bHérHg^-o- 'birch'
> (b) *bHerHg^i-h3ón- 'place overgrown with birches'
>
> A term for 'birch wood' can easily come to mean 'birch' (collective -->
> individual), as was the case with PGmc. *birk-jo:n- (> OE birce [pl.
> bircean] > birch), which reflects (b). In Balto-Slavic, the Hoffmann
> compound developed thematic derivatives in *-o-/*-ah2, still with the
> same collective/place-name meaning:
>
> Slavic *berza 'birch' : *berzina 'birch wood' < *bHerHg^i-h3n-ah2
> Lith. berz^as 'birch' : berz^ynas 'birch wood' < *bHerHg^i-h3n-o-s
>
> The lengthening effect of the laryngeal is visible here, as Slavic *i
> and Lith. y both reflect *i:.
>
> If we wanted to form an "individualising" derivative of the 'birch' word
> (for example, in order to use it as somebody's nickname), the result
> would be a different nasal stem, namely *bHérHg^on- (nom.sg. bérHg^o:n),
> cf. Lat. na:sus --> Na:so: 'Mr. Big Nose'.
>
> Piotr
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