26. Proto-Slavic Morphology


26.1 Nominal Morphology

The chart below demonstrates the nominal morphology of a noun in each Proto-Slavic declension. The names of the stems reflect Proto-Indo-European terminology.

The example nouns used below are *noga "foot, leg" (Ā-Stem), *zemja "land" (JĀ-Stem), *gordъ "city, fortress" (Masculine O-Stem), *město "place" (Neuter O-Stem), *more "sea" (JO-Stem), *synъ "son" (U-Stem), *kьrky "church" (Ū-Stem), *pǫtь "path" (I-Stem), *slovo "word" (S-Stem), *mati "mother" (R-Stem), *kamy "stone" (N-Stem), and *agnę "lamb" (NT-Stem).

Singular
Ā-Stem JĀ-Stem O-Stem (M) O-Stem (N) JO-Stem U-Stem Ū-Stem I-Stem S-Stem R-Stem N-Stem NT-Stem
Nominative noga zemja gordъ město more synъ kьrky pǫtь slovo mati kamy agnę
Genitive nogě zemję gorda města morja synu kьrkъve pǫti slovese matere kamene agnęte
Accusative nogǫ zemjǫ gordъ město more synъ kьrky pǫtь slovo mati kamy agnę
Dative nogě zemji gordu městu morju synovi kьrkъvi pǫti slovesi materi kameni agnęti
Instrumental nogojǫ zemjejǫ gordomь městomь moremь synъmь kьrkъvьjǫ pǫtьmь slovesьmь materьmь kamenьmь agnętьmь
Locative nogě zemji gordě městě morji synu kьrkъve pǫti slovese materi kamene agnęte
Vocative nogo zemje gorde měste morju synu kьrky pǫti slovo mati kamy agnę
Dual
Ā-Stem JĀ-Stem O-Stem (M) O-Stem (N) JO-Stem U-Stem Ū-Stem I-Stem S-Stem R-Stem N-Stem NT-Stem
Nom/Acc/Voc nogě zemji gorda městě morji syny kьrkъvi pǫti slovesě materi kameni agnętě
Gen/Loc nogu zemju gordu městu morju synovu kьrkъvu pǫtьju slovesu materu kamenu agnętu
Dat/Instr nogama zemjama gordoma městoma morema synъma kьrkъvama pǫtьma slovesьma materьma kamenьma agnętьma
Plural
Ā-Stem JĀ-Stem O-Stem (M) O-Stem (N) JO-Stem U-Stem Ū-Stem I-Stem S-Stem R-Stem N-Stem NT-Stem
Nominative nogy zemję gordi města morja synove kьrkъvi pǫtьje slovesa materi kamene agnęta
Genitive nogъ zemjь gordъ městъ morjь synovъ kьrkъvъ pǫtьjь slovesъ materъ kamene agnętъ
Accusative nogy zemję gordy města morja syny kьrkъvi pǫti slovesa materi kameni agnęta
Dative nogamъ zemjamъ gordomъ městomъ moremъ synъmъ kьrkъvamъ pǫtьmъ slovesьmъ materьmъ kamenьmъ agnętьmъ
Instrumental nogami zemjami gordy městy morji synъmi kьrkъvami pǫtьmi slovesy materьmi kamenьmi agnęty
Locative nogaxъ zemjaxъ gorděxъ městěxъ morjixъ synъxъ kьrkъvaxъ pǫtьxъ slovesьxъ materьxъ kamenьxъ agnętьxъ
Vocative nogy zemję gordi města morja synove kьrkъvi pǫtьje slovesa materi kamene agnęta

26.2 Adjectival Morphology

The following table demonstratives the adjectival morphology of Proto-Slavic. Below are the indefinite forms (top left) and definite (top right). Below those are the short form comparative (bottom left) and long form comparative (bottom right). The example used here is *dobrъ "good, kind", except for the short comparative, where *vysъ "high" is used.

The superlative was formed with a prefixed naj-.

26.3 Verbal Morphology

Proto-Slavic verbs may be grouped in five primary classes.

The first conjugation includes verbs that gain -e- in the present tense, and is demonstrated with *nesti "carry" below. The second conjugation consists of verbs that gain the suffix -n-, demonstrated with *dvignǫti "move". The third conjugation includes verbs that gain the suffix -je- in the present tense, demonstrated with *znati "know" (with a vocalic stem) and *pьsati "write" (with a consonantal stem). The fourth conjugation features -i-, demonstrated with *ljubiti "love". The fifth conjugation includes the five athematic verbs, demonstrated with *dati "give" below.

Non-Finite Forms
I II III III IV V
Infinitive nesti dvignǫti znati pьsati ljubiti dati
Supine nestъ dvignǫtъ znatъ pьsatъ ljubitъ datъ
Present Tense
I II III III IV V
1Sg nesǫ dvignǫ znajǫ pьsjǫ ljubjǫ damь
2Sg nesešь dvignešь znaješь pьsješь ljubišь dasi
3Sg nesetь dvignetь znajetь pьsjetь ljubitь dastь
1Dl neseva dvigneva znajeva pьsjeva ljubiva dava
2Dl neseta dvigneta znajeta pьsjeta ljubita dasta
3Dl neseta dvigneta znajeta pьsjeta ljubita dasta
1Pl nesemъ dvignemъ znajemъ pьsjemъ ljubimъ damo
2Pl nesete dvignete znajete pьsjete ljubite daste
3Pl nesǫtь dvignǫtь znajǫtь pьsjǫtь ljubętь dadǫtь
Imperfect Tense
I II III III IV V
1Sg nesěaxъ dvigněaxъ znaaxъ pьsaaxъ ljubjaaxъ daděaxъ
2Sg nesěaše dvigněaše znaaše pьsaaše ljubjaaše daděaše
3Sg nesěaše dvigněaše znaaše pьsaaše ljubjaaše daděaše
1Dl nesěaxova dvigněaxova znaaxova pьsaaxova ljubjaaxova daděaxova
2Dl nesěašeta dvigněašeta znaašeta pьsaašeta ljubjaašeta daděašeta
3Dl nesěašeta dvigněašeta znaašeta pьsaašeta ljubjaašeta daděašeta
1Pl nesěaxomъ dvigněaxomъ znaaxomъ pьsaaxomъ ljubjaaxomъ daděaxomъ
2Pl nesěašete dvigněašete znaašete pьsaašete ljubjaašete daděašete
3Pl nesěaxǫ dvigněaxǫ znaaxǫ pьsaaxǫ ljubjaaxǫ daděaxǫ
Aorist Tense
I II III III IV V
1Sg nesoxъ dvigoxъ znaxъ pьsaxъ ljubixъ daxъ
2Sg nese dvige zna pьsa ljubi da
3Sg nese dvige zna pьsa ljubi da
1Dl nesoxova dvigoxova znaxova pьsaxova ljubixova daxova
2Dl nesosta dvigosta znasta pьsasta ljubista dasta
3Dl nesosta dvigosta znasta pьsasta ljubista dasta
1Pl nesoxomъ dvigoxomъ znaxomъ pьsaxomъ ljubixomъ daxomъ
2Pl nesoste dvigoste znaste pьsaste ljubiste daste
3Pl nesošę dvigošę znašę pьsaxǫ ljubixǫ dašǫ
Imperative Mood
I II III III IV V
2Sg nesi dvigni znaji pьsji ljubi dadjь
3Sg nesi dvigni znaji pьsji ljubi dadjь
1Dl nesěva dvigněva znajiva pьsjiva ljubiva dadiva
2Dl nesěta dvigněta znajita pьsjita ljubita dadita
1Pl nesěmъ dvigněmъ znajimъ pьsjimъ ljubimъ dadimъ
2Pl nesěte dvigněte znajite pьsjite ljubite dadite

The above represents the forms used among the North and East Slavs, that is, the forms that Novegradian originated from. There existed considerable dialectical variation, however. In the present tense 2sg, the ending could also be *-ši in addition to *-šь. The final yer in the 3sg and 3pl of the past could be front or back. The 1dl ending in all tenses could be *-vě in addition to *-va. The 3dl could be identical to the 2pl instead of the 2dl. The vowels seen in the imperfect and aorist tenses also tended to be somewhat variable.

The verb *byti "be" has two tenses no other verb has, a future and a conditional. The conditional, however, was frequently contaminated by aorist forms (shown in the third column).

*byti Anomolous Tenses
Future Conditional Aorist
1Sg bǫdǫ bimь byxъ
2Sg bǫdešь bi by
3Sg bǫdetь bi by
1Dl bǫdeva biva byxova
2Dl bǫdeta bista bysta
3Dl bǫdeta bista bysta
1Pl bǫdemъ bimъ byxomъ
2Pl bǫdete bite byste
3Pl bǫdǫtь byšę