etymology

[Alina Israeli]

The rule is probably purely morphological: -a nouns —> -in, consonant  
ending —> -ov. This is the case of Фома, Кузьма, Илья,  
Лука, Путята, Добрыня, all kinds of diminutives  
Муся (Мусин–Пушкин, and yes, пушка), Вася — 
 > Васин, Паша —> Пашин, Сеня —> Сенин,  
Сёма —> Сёмин, all kinds of other -a words: Лапин,  
Малюгин, Малявин, Зорькин, Зорин etc.

Conversely, this allows us to figure out the gender of pluralia tantum  
words: потемки —> Потемкин, must be fem. Качели  
—> Качелин, must be fem. Будни —> Буднев, must be  
masc, although we already know it from день.

Speaking of pluralia tantum, Путин could come from путы, which  
must be fem, in this case.


On Apr 1, 2014, at 3:09 PM, R. M. Cleminson wrote:

> It is the regular suffix for forming adjectives from nouns in -a,  
> and also, in the earlier period, from nouns in -ĭ (e.g.  
> гостинъ < гость); nevertheless, there is no reason to  
> believe that the name Путин is of such antiquity that it could  
> be derived from путь (and in any case, at that period the suffix  
> was attached to nouns denoting persons).  I agree that it must be  
> derived from the proper name Путя.
>
> There is, incidentally, absolutely nothing to suggest that names in - 
> ин are matronymic, and indeed, the commonest of them, such as  
> Фомин, Кузьмин, indicate quite the reverse.
>

Alina Israeli
Associate Professor of Russian
WLC, American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave.
Washington DC 20016
(202) 885-2387 	fax (202) 885-1076
aisrael at american.edu






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