-алка
Bulgarian
Alternative forms
- -ялка (-jalka) – when appended to roots ending in a vowel
Etymology 1
Diminutive form of Bulgarian -ало (-alo) + -ка (-ka), built upon the instrumental suffix Proto-Slavic *-dlo. In some cases, both the base form in -ало (-alo) and the diminutive form in -алка (-alka) are attested, e.g.:
духам (duham, “to blow”) → духало (duhalo, “blower”) → духалка (duhalka, “fan, ventilator”).
Suffix
-алка • (-alka) f
- Deverbal, forming feminine instrumental or effect nouns.
- бухам (buham, “to bat, to swat”) → бухалка (buhalka, “bat, paddle”)
- закачам (zakačam, “to hang over, to hook”) → закачалка (zakačalka, “hanger, peg”)
- пръскам (prǎskam, “to sparkle, to spray”) → пръскалка (prǎskalka, “sprayer”)
- тупам (tupam, “to beat, to stomp”) → тупалка (tupalka, “beater”)
- гриза (griza, “to bite, to fret”) (a/V-conj.) → гризалка (grizalka, “pacifier; small snack”)
- снова (snova, “to shunt”) (a/V-conj.) → сновалка (snovalka, “shuttle”)
- ближа (bliža, “to lick”) (a/j-conj.) → близалка (blizalka, “lollipop”)
- пиша (piša, “to write”) (a/j-conj.) → писалка (pisalka, “pen”)
- Denominal, forming feminine instrumental or effect nouns, probably via an intermediate (often obsolete) factitive verb.
- пърз (pǎrz, “slip”) → *пързам (*pǎrzam) → пързалка (pǎrzalka, “pen”)
- ключ (ključ, “key”) → ключая (ključaja, “to clink”) (obsolete) → ключалка (ključalka, “latch, keyhole”)
Related terms
- -лка (-lka), -лица (-lica)
- -елка (-elka), -елица (-elica)
- -илка (-ilka)
- -улка (-ulka)
Etymology 2
Doublet of -елка (-elka) in palatal environments (where earlier -ѣ- /æ/ becomes -я- /ja/ in Eastern dialects).
Suffix
-алка • (-alka) f
- Alternative form of -елка (-elka)
- бръмча (brǎmča, “to buzz”) (ě/i-conj.) → бръмчалка (brǎmčalka, “buzzer”)
- запуша (zapuša, “to tap, to clog”) (ě/i-conj.) → запушалка (zapušalka, “plug”)
Etymology 3
Diminutive form of Bulgarian -ал (-al) + -ка (-ka).
Suffix
-алка • (-alka) f
- Denominal, forming feminine instrumental or resultant nouns.
- вързал (vǎrzal, “knot”) → вързалка (vǎrzalka, “node, tie; elaborate scheme”)
- търкал (tǎrkal, “roll, nudge”) → търкалка (tǎrkalka, “rolling, tumbling”)
Macedonian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈaɫka]
Suffix
-алка • (-alka) f
- Suffix appended to verbs, forms feminine nouns, most often tools related to an action.
- вее (vee) + -алка (-alka) → веалка f (vealka)
- грее (gree) + -алка (-alka) → греалка f (grealka)
- дига (diga) + -алка (-alka) → дигалка f (digalka)
- меша (meša) + -алка (-alka) → мешалка f (mešalka)
- сука (suka) + -алка (-alka) → сукалка f (sukalka)
- цеди (cedi) + -алка (-alka) → цедалка f (cedalka)
Derived terms
Macedonian terms suffixed with -алка