Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/poikki

This Proto-Finnic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Finnic

Alternative forms

*poiki (possibly; see reconstruction notes)

Etymology

Unknown.

Particle

*poikki

across
in half, into two pieces

Reconstruction notes

This word has several open questions that are yet to be solved, besides its ultimate etymology:

The reason behind the variation between the strong stem *poikki and *poiki. The former has a more wide distribution and is thus often considered the primary form. As the weak form is not attested on its own but only in derivatives, it may represent a secondarily reduced form, a proposition further corroborated by the fact that its descendants have often been reduced even further.
The inflectional pattern, if any. The particle may have originally been indeclinable, but several descendants seem to suggest that it had gained (limited) inflection for derivation of further adverbs and particles, and these appear to treat *poikki as an e-stem, the same that the weak stem also exhibits in its derivatives. This could instead suggest that *poikki did indeed originally inflect as an original e-stem.
- Furthermore, like *läpi and *ohi (which have developed into numerous adverbs in their respective descendants), *poikki might have originally been a noun, but what that noun would have meant is unknown.
The descendants seemingly from a bare *poikki, and whether they may instead be *i-latives rather than bare descendants, especially if *poikki was originally inflected.

Descendants

Estonian: põik-, ⇒ põiki
Finnish: poikki-, ⇒ poikki, poikin
Ingrian: poikki, ⇒ poikkeen
Karelian: poikki
Ludian: poikki
⇒ Veps: poikheze
Votic: põittši

Possibly based on the stem *poiki : *poike-:

⇒ Finnish: pois, poissa
⇒ Ingrian: pois
⇒ Karelian: pois
⇒ Votic: poiz, (Eastern Votic) poizag