Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ьnikъ

Compound masculine suffix from *-ьnъ +‎ *-ikъ. Parallel to *-ьnica f for derivatives in feminine gender.

*-ьnikъ m

1. From base concept nouns, forms agent nouns who execute or embark in the referred concept

   *pǫtь (“path”) → *pǫtьnikъ (“traveler, passenger”)

   *kry (“blood”) → *krъvьnikъ (“hangman, avenger”)

   *mętežь (“scuffle, mutiny”) → *mętežьnikъ (“rioter”)

   *orbota (“work”) → *orbotьnikъ (“worker”)

   *směхъ (“laughter”) → *směšьnikъ (“funnyman, clown”)

   *zakonъ (“law”) → *zakonьnikъ (“law-maker, lawyer, canon”)

2. From base object nouns, forms derivative object nouns

   *dьrvo (“tree”) → *dьrvьnikъ (“block, log”)

   *peťь (“oven, cook”) → *peťьnikъ (“furnace”)

   *sъborъ (“aggregate, sum”) → *sъborьnikъ (“collection, anthology”)

3. From concept nouns in *-ostь, forms carrier nouns of the specified concept

   *xubostь (“handsomeness”) → *xubostьnikъ (“handsome man”)

   *pakostь (“mischief, vicissitude”) → *pakostьnikъ (“varmint, trickster”)

4. From prepositions, forms subject nouns exhibiting the specified proposition

   *protivъ (“against”) → *protivьnikъ (“opponent”)

   *nadъ (“over, upon”) → *nadьnikъ (“bonus”)

   Pre-Slavic *porzdъ (“over there, forwards with skipping one”) → *porzdьnikъ (“holiday”)

• *-nikъ

• Duridinov et al. (1991) "-ьникъ" in Граматика на старобългарския език (in Bulgarian), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 183
• I. Erofeyeva (2010): "Личные дериваты с суффиксом -(ьн)икъ в ментально-культурном пространстве языка Русских летописей" (in Russian), Kazan State University