Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/waje

This Proto-Uralic 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-Uralic

Etymology

Attested only in the traditional Finno-Ugric group. No contrasting Proto-Samoyedic word for 'butter' is known either, however. A loan etymology from Indo-Iranian has been proposed (compare Sanskrit आज्य (ājya, “melted butter for oblation”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ-), but this runs into phonetic difficulties.[1]

Reconstruction

Traditionally reconstructed as *woje.[2] Finnic *voi however points to earlier *vooji (Sammallahti (1988) reconstructs *wooji already for Proto-Finno-Ugric[3]), where per Aikio long *oo is in turn from original *a, confirmed also by Moksha вай (vaj).[1]

The meaning 'butter' has sometimes been considered anachronistic for Proto-Uralic or Proto-Finno-Ugric, and to represent a later development from earlier generic 'fat'. Häkkinen[4] inversely suggests this word as part of evidence that Proto-Uralic was spoken late enough for its speakers to be at least familiar with agricultural products.

Noun

*waje

butter

Descendants

Proto-Ugric: *wåjĭ (see there for further descendants)
Permic:
- Komi: *vɨj (irregular)
  - Komi-Permyak: ви (vi)
  - Komi-Zyrian: вый (vyj)
- Udmurt: вӧй (vöj)
Mari:
- Eastern Mari: ӱй (üj)
- Western Mari: ӱ (ü)
Proto-Mordvinic: *vāj (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Samic: *vuojë (see there for further descendants)
Proto-Finnic: *voi (see there for further descendants)

References

Luobbal Sámmol Sámmol Ánte (Ante Aikio). 2012. "On Finnic long vowels, Samoyed vowel sequences, and Proto-Uralic *x". In: Hyytiäinen, Tiina; Jalava, Lotta; Saarikivi, Janne; Sandman, Erika (eds.), Per Urales ad Orientem. Iter polyphonicum multilinguae. Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 264, pp. 227–250.
Rédei, Károly (1986–88) Uralisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Uralic Etymological Dictionary] (in German), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
Sammallahti, Pekka (1988), “Historical Phonology of the Uralic Languages”, in Denis, Sinor, editor, The Uralic Languages: Description, History and Foreign Influences, Leiden: E. J. Brill, →ISBN, pages 478-554
Häkkinen, Jaakko. 2009. "Kantauralin ajoitus ja paikannus: perustelut puntarissa." ('Dating and locating Proto-Uralic: Weighing the evidence.') Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Aikakauskirja 92, pp. 9–56.

External links

Entry #1156 in Uralonet, online Uralic etymological database of the Research Institute for Linguistics, Hungary.

[Aikio-1] Luobbal Sámmol Sámmol Ánte (Ante Aikio). 2012. "On Finnic long vowels, Samoyed vowel sequences, and Proto-Uralic *x". In: Hyytiäinen, Tiina; Jalava, Lotta; Saarikivi, Janne; Sandman, Erika (eds.), Per Urales ad Orientem. Iter polyphonicum multilinguae. Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia 264, pp. 227–250.

[2] Rédei, Károly (1986–88) Uralisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Uralic Etymological Dictionary] (in German), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó

[3] Sammallahti, Pekka (1988), “Historical Phonology of the Uralic Languages”, in Denis, Sinor, editor, The Uralic Languages: Description, History and Foreign Influences, Leiden: E. J. Brill, →ISBN, pages 478-554

[4] Häkkinen, Jaakko. 2009. "Kantauralin ajoitus ja paikannus: perustelut puntarissa." ('Dating and locating Proto-Uralic: Weighing the evidence.') Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Aikakauskirja 92, pp. 9–56.