кувалда

Inherited from Middle Russian кувалда (kuvalda), attested since 1655.

In spite of phonetical and semantical differences, most likely with metathesis from Old Ruthenian кова́дло (kovádlo, “anvil”) (since 1635), whence also Ukrainian кова́дло (kovádlo), Belarusian кава́дла (kavádla) and, notably, Belarusian кува́дла (kuvádla), from Middle Polish kowadło (in modern sense since 16th c.), from Old Czech kovadlo (since 14th c.; whence Czech kovadlina), from kovat (“to forge”), from Proto-Slavic *kovati, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kewh₂-. Belarusian кува́лда (kuválda, “sledgehammer”) may either be a late Russian borrowing or a descendant of an unattested Old Ruthenian source. Cognate with кий (kij), кия́нка (kijánka) (via *kewh₂-).

Compare typologically Proto-Slavic *moltiti (whence молоти́ть (molotítʹ)) < *moltъ (whence мо́лот (mólot)); Latin malleō < malleus (the opposite derivation (verb <- noun), further, however, from the verb Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (whence *melti > моло́ть (molótʹ); Latin molō)).

Historically also explained as a derivative of вали́ть (valítʹ, “to fell, to knock down”).

• IPA^(key): [kʊˈvaɫdə]

кува́лда • (kuválda) f inan (genitive кува́лды, nominative plural кува́лды, genitive plural кува́лд, relational adjective кува́лдовый, diminutive кува́лдочка)

1. sledgehammer (kind of hammer)

   Synonym: (dated) балда́ (baldá)

• кува́лдить (kuválditʹ), кувалди́ровать (kuvaldírovatʹ)

• кова́ть impf (kovátʹ)
• ковш m (kovš)
• кузне́ц m anim (kuznéc)
• подко́ва f (podkóva)

Via Proto-Indo-European *kewh₂-:

• кий m (kij), кия́нка f (kijánka)

• → Armenian: կվալդ (kvald)
• → Belarusian: кува́лда (kuválda)
• → Ukrainian: кува́лда (kuválda)

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “кувалда”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “кувалда”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.

Borrowed from Russian кува́лда (kuválda).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [kʊˈʋaɫdɐ]

кува́лда • (kuválda) f inan (genitive кува́лди, nominative plural кува́лди, genitive plural кува́лд)

1. sledgehammer

• Busel, V. T. (2005) “кувалда”, in Великий тлумачний словник сучасної української мови [Great Explanatory Dictionary of Modern Ukrainian Language] (in Ukrainian), 2nd edition, Kyiv, Irpin: Perun, →ISBN, page 594
• A. Rysin, V. Starko, et al. (compilers, 2011–2020), “кувалда”, in English–Ukrainian Dictionaries
• “кувалда”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horokh – Inflection] (in Ukrainian)