Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/laipa

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

Borrowed from Proto-Germanic *hlaibaz.^[1] Most descendants show a later shift *ai > *ei (compare e.g. *haina, *saisadak).

Noun

*laipa^[2]

bread

Inflection

Inflection of *laipa

	singular	plural
Note: The Proto-Finnic declension system is yet to be reconstructed in detail. What is presented here is only one possibility.
nominative	*laipa	*laibat
accusative	*laiban	*laibat
genitive	*laiban	laipadën laipoidën
partitive	*laipada	*laipoida
inessive	laibassa laibahna	laiboissa laiboihna
elative	*laibasta	*laiboista
illative	*laipahën	*laipoihën
adessive	*laiballa	*laiboilla
ablative	*laibalta	*laiboilta
allative	laipalën laipalëk	laipoilën laipoilëk
essive	*laipana	*laipoina
translative	*laibaksi	*laiboiksi
instructive	*laiban	*laiboin
comitative	*laipanëk	*laipoinëk
abessive	*laibatta	*laiboitta

Derived terms

*laipoidak

Descendants

Estonian: leib
- → Võro: leib
Finnish: leipä
- → Inari Sami: leibi
- → Skolt Sami: leiʹbb
- → Akkala Sami: lejp
- → Kildin Sami: ле̄ййп (liejjp)
- → Ter Sami: [script needed] (lĭĕī̭ᵇpe)
Ingrian: leipä
Karelian:
- North Karelian: leipä
- South Karelian: leibä
Livonian: lēba
Livvi: leiby
Ludian: leib
Veps: leib
Võro: (Leivu) laib
Votic: leipe

References

^ Junttila, Santeri, Kallio, Petri, Holopainen, Sampsa, Kuokkala, Juha, Pystynen, Juho, editors (2020–), “leipä”, in Suomen vanhimman sanaston etymologinen verkkosanakirja‎^[1] (in Finnish), retrieved 4 August 2025
^ Kallio, Petri (2020–), “*laipa”, in Yhteissuomalainen sanasto [Common Finnic Vocabulary]‎^[2] (in Finnish)