Adaptation of loanwords of the suffix type *-eTA in Finnish and Saami

Abstract

This article concerns loanwords that have been adapted to the adjective suffix type *-eTA in Finnish (-eA) and North Saami (-at). The questions to answer are: From which languages the loanwords have been borrowed and adapted to this adjective type? Which processes have been used to adapt loanwords to the suffix type *-eTA? Can we say something about the productivity of a suffix by studying the loanwords it has adapted? According to the data, the loanwords have been gained especially from Germanic and Scandinavian languages. Also, the North Saami and Finnish do not have common loanwords. They have borrowed words from same source but separately, i. e. they cannot be reconstructed to common Finno-Saamic form. However, both languages have used the same methods in adapting loanwords to the suffix type *-eTA. Both Finnish and North Saami has also young loanwords in suffix type *-eTA which indicates that the suffix has been productive enough to adapt loanwords perhaps longer than thought. It is likely that the Finnish -eA adjectives would be even now adapted to -at in North Saami.