Attested only in the traditional Finno-Ugric group. No contrasting Proto-Samoyedic word for 'butter' is known either, however. A loan etymology from Indo-Iranian has been proposed (compareSanskritआज्य(ājya,“melted butter foroblation”), fromProto-Indo-European*h₃engʷ-), but this runs into phonetic difficulties.[1]
Traditionally reconstructed as*woje.[2] Finnic*voi however points to earlier*vooji (Sammallahti (1988) reconstructs*wooji already for Proto-Finno-Ugric[3]), where per Aikio long*oo is in turn from original*a, confirmed also byMokshaвай(vaj).[1]
The meaning 'butter' has sometimes been considered anachronistic for Proto-Uralic or Proto-Finno-Ugric, and to represent a later development from earlier generic 'fat'. Häkkinen[4] inversely suggests this word as part of evidence that Proto-Uralic was spoken late enough for its speakers to be at least familiar with agricultural products.
↑1.01.1Luobbal Sámmol Sámmol Ánte (Ante Aikio). 2012. "On Finnic long vowels, Samoyed vowel sequences, and Proto-Uralic *x". In: Hyytiäinen, Tiina; Jalava, Lotta; Saarikivi, Janne; Sandman, Erika (eds.),Per Urales ad Orientem. Iter polyphonicum multilinguae.Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Toimituksia264, pp. 227–250.
^Rédei, Károly (1986–88)Uralisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Uralic Etymological Dictionary] (in German), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
^Sammallahti, Pekka (1988) “Historical Phonology of the Uralic Languages”, inDenis, Sinor, editor,The Uralic Languages: Description, History and Foreign Influences, Leiden: E. J. Brill,→ISBN, pages478-554
