Re: -ski vs. -scu
| From: | Jesse Bangs <jaspax@...> |
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| Date: | Sunday, October 7, 2007, 0:00 |
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> > What is the derivation behind -ski / -scu?
>
> Slavic -ski is an adjectival ending, analogous to English '-ish'.
> Romanian -scu, or rather -escu, is a possessive/genitive ending, used
> for patronyms that have since become surnames.
However, they may be etymologically related at a deeper level. I know
that an adjectival or genitive ending of the form -{i/e}sk- is
attested for Romance, Slavic, and Germanic langages, which seems a
little too coincidental. Does anyone know for sure if these are
etymologically related?
Also, the Romanian -esc- is more than just a patronymic. It's also
used as an adjectival ending, particularly for ethnonyms (englezesc ~
"English") and even as an adverbial ending -es,te (< esce). This range
of use suggests that it has an etymological connection with Slavic and
Germanic.
--
JS Bangs
jaspax@gmail.com
http://jaspax.com
"amazing grace
it sounds like razors in my ears
that bell's been ringing now for years
someday i'll give it all away
that's how you sing amazing grace."
- Low
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