< Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic

Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/soomi

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
  • *sooma (possibly, based on the derived term)

Etymology

From earlier *sämä; cognate with Proto-Samic *sāmē.[1][2][3][4] Further etymology uncertain. Several theories have been proposed (mostly incompatible with the currently accepted proto-form *sämä), but none have been accepted.

One theory, proposed by Koivulehto among others, stated that the word originated from Baltic *šāma-, via Pre-Proto-Finnic *šämä from Proto-Balto-Slavic *źemē (“ground”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéǵʰōm; the vowel correspondences being explained by reborrowing back and forth, possibly with a late Proto-Germanic borrowing. The progress would have roughly been Proto-Indo-European *dʰéǵʰōm > Proto-Balto-Slavic *źemē (“ground”) → Pre-Proto-Finnic *šämä (> Proto-Finnic *hämä, Proto-Samic *sāmē) → Proto-Balto-Slavic *šāma- (or *sāma-, in view of Latvian sāms (“Finn, Öselian (inhabitant of Saaremaa)”), Latvian sāmenis (“northern wind”) and dialectal Lithuanian sómenis (“northwestern wind”), unless the Lithuanian word is a borrowing from Latvian) → (through Proto-Germanic?) Proto-Finnic *sooma.[5] Koivulehto originally proposed that Proto-Balto-Slavic *šāma- would have been borrowed through Proto-Samic specifically.[6] However, this theory assumes an improbable back-and-forth chain of borrowings, relying on too many unconfirmed assumptions, and thus has to be rejected (especially in light of current information).[7][4]

Another theory proposed an origin from an earlier supposed *ćoma (“human”), either borrowed from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓ or from pre-Proto-Balto-Slavic *ǵʰom-yā-.[7] With the new information that the earlier form is actually *sämä, these too have to be rejected.[3]

Antique ad-hoc proposals that the word is derived from *soo-maa (literally “fen land”) or *soo-neemi (literally “fen cape”), or from *soomu (“(fish) scale”) have long been considered untenable.

Noun

*soomi

  1. person from Southwest Finland
  2. (later) ? Finn in general

Inflection
Inflection of *soomi
Note: The Proto-Finnic declension system is yet to be reconstructed in detail. What is presented here is only one possibility.
singular plural
nominative *soomi *soomët
accusative *soomën *soomët
genitive *soomën *soondën
*soomidën
partitive *soonta *soomida
inessive *soomëssa
*soomëhna		 *soomissa
*soomihna
elative *soomësta *soomista
illative *soomëhën *soomihën
adessive *soomëlla *soomilla
ablative *soomëlta *soomilta
allative *soomëlën
*soomëlëk		 *soomilën
*soomilëk
essive *soomëna *soomina
translative *soomëksi *soomiksi
instructive *soomën *soomin
comitative *soomënëk *soominëk
abessive *soomëtta *soomitta

Derived terms
  • *soomalainën

Descendants

Further reading
  • Itkonen, Erkki, Kulonen, Ulla-Maija, editors (1992–2000), 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
  • Häkkinen, Kaisa (2004) Nykysuomen etymologinen sanakirja [Modern Finnish Etymological Dictionary] (in Finnish), Juva: WSOY, →ISBN

References
  1. Ruppel, Klaas, editor (2021–2023), “Suomi”, in Suomen etymologinen sanakirja [Finnish Etymological Dictionary] (Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 72)‎ (in Finnish), Kotimaisten kielten keskus, →ISSN
  2. Sanojen alkuperästä: Suomi. Kotimaisten kielten keskus.
  3. Kallio, Petri, in lectures at the University of Helsinki.
  4. Pystynen, Juho. Itämerensuomen pitkien vokaalien alkuperä (2018). Master's thesis. University of Helsinki. p. 84.
  5. de Smit, Merlijn (unpublished draft) “De Vanitate Etymologiae. On the origins of Suomi, Häme, Sápmi.”, in Academia.edu‎, Academia, Inc.
  6. Koivulehto, Jorma. Suomi (1993). Virittäjä, volume 97, issue 3.
  7. Kallio, Petri. Suomi(ttavia etymologioita) (1998). Virittäjä, volume 102, issue 4.
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