Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/eläjä

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

From *elädäk (to live) +‎ *-jä (-er). Cognate with Proto-Samic *ealējē.

Noun

*eläjä

  1. living being; human, animal
  2. inhabitant, resident

Inflection

Descendants

  • Estonian: elaja
  • Finnish: eläjä
  • Ingrian: eläjä
  • Karelian:
  • Livonian: jelāj
  • Livvi: eläi
  • Ludian: eläi
  • Veps: eläi
  • Võro: elläi
  • Votic: eläje

Further reading

  • Erkki Itkonen, Ulla-Maija Kulonen, editors (1992–2000), “elää”, in Suomen sanojen alkuperä [The Origin of Finnish Words]‎[1] (in Finnish) (online version; note: also includes other etymological sources; this source is labeled "SSA 1992–2000"), Helsinki: Institute for the Languages of Finland/Finnish Literature Society, →ISBN