--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Petusek" <petusek@...> wrote:
> Hello everyone!
>
> What is the PIE reconstruction of the Slavic infinitive ending /-
ti/ (Czech -t, -ti, -ci < gti/kti), its origin and kinship? Are there
non-Slavic IE languages that use this (or related) ending to form
infinitives? Thank you for your comments and advice.
>
> Petusek
Hello, Petusek.
From what I've read, the Slavic infinitive ending is a combination of
the IE nomina actionis (i.e., abstract noun) ending *-ti plus
locative *-i, yielding the form *-ti:. So, with a root *mog- or *mag-
'be able, can', would form an abstract noun *mog-ti-/*mag-ti- 'being
able', and the locative form would be *mogti:/*magti: 'at being
able'. This is directly attested in e.g. Russian: *mogti:/*magti: >
*mogti > *mogt' > moch' 'to be able'. Note that it can also be
translated as a noun: moch' 'power'.
- Rob