< Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic

Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/peeni

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

Etymology

Unknown. Borrowing from Proto-Germanic *spēnuz, as once proposed, is not possible due to semantic and phonetic issues (it, however, was probably borrowed into Finnic as *pëëna). If the Finnic word goes back to earlier *päne, it could be related to Proto-Uralic *pänɜ- (to grind) (akin to Proto-Uralic *pänɜ (grindstone), whence e.g. Hungarian fen), through a development like "to grind (fine)" > "fine" > "small", although this kind of zero derivation of an adjective from a verb has no known parallels.

Adjective

*peeni[1]

  1. little, small
  2. fine

Inflection

Descendants

  • Estonian: peen
  • Finnish: pieni
  • Ingrian: peeni, peen
  • Karelian: pieni
  • Livonian: pien
  • Ludian: pien'
  • Veps: pen'
  • Votic: peeni

References

  1. Kallio, Petri (2020–) “*peeni”, in Yhteissuomalainen sanasto (in Finnish)

Further reading

  • Itkonen, Erkki, Kulonen, Ulla-Maija, editors (1992–2000), “pieni”, in Suomen sanojen alkuperä [The origin of Finnish words] (in Finnish) (online version; note: also includes other etymological sources), Helsinki: Institute for the Languages of Finland/Finnish Literature Society, →ISBN
  • peen”, in [ETY] Eesti etümoloogiasõnaraamat [Estonian Etymological Dictionary] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2012
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