Proto-Slavic *ū-stems and the Polabian language

Abstract

Summary The paper deals with the issues (both inflectional and word-formational) of Proto-Slavic *ū-stems in the Polabian corpus. The aim of the paper is to identify all Polabian words continuing the *ū-declension class and accompany them with comprehensive linguistic and, when necessary, philological comments. As it turns out, some words, regarded as Polabian innovations, are in fact archaisms, as evidenced by comparative data. A new explanation of heteroclitic stems (Nsg -o vs. NApl -våi̯) is proposed involving a well-known Polabian sound change (*Kvo > Ko), which is somewhat elaborated.