Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/žalь

This Proto-Slavic 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-Slavic

Alternative reconstructions

  • *žàľь

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *gḗlˀis, *gḗlˀāˀ, an elongated ē-grade verbal noun of *želti (to sting), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-. Nearly exact cognate with Lithuanian gėlà (pain, anguish) (a-stem), gė́lė (panifully, agonizingly) (adverb). Further akin to Old Armenian կեղ (keł, wound, sore), Proto-Germanic *kwēlō (agony).[1]

Noun

*žàlь f[1][2][3]

  1. burial monument
  2. (abstract) regret, sorrow, pity, griefsorry, woe (as an adverb or interjection)
    Synonyms: *pečalь, *tǫga, *mǫka, *gořestь, *skъrbь

Alternative forms

  • *žalъ m (о-stem, in West Slavic)
  • *žala f (ā-stem)

Inflection

Declension of *žàlь (i-stem, accent paradigm a)
singular dual plural
nominative *žàlь *žàli *žàli
genitive *žàlī *žàlьju, *žàľu* *žàlьjь, *žàlī*
dative *žàli *žàlьma *žàlьmъ
accusative *žàlь *žàli *žàli
instrumental *žàlьjǫ, *žàľǭ* *žàlьma *žàlьmī
locative *žàlī *žàlьju, *žàľu* *žàlьxъ
vocative *žali *žàli *žàli

* The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).

Derived terms

  • *žaliti, *žalěti (to grieve, to mourn)
    • *sъžalěnьje (pity, compassion)
    • *žalějь (lament, whining)
  • *žalьba (lament, expression of regret, complaint), *žaloba (mourning)
  • *žalьnъ (regetful, sorrowful)
  • *žalostь, *žalota (pity, sympathy)
  • *žalovati (to feel sorry for, to pity)
  • *žalъkъ (pitiful)
  • желя (želja) (Old East Slavic)
Proto-Slavic terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷelH- (0 c, 8 e)

Descendants

  • East Slavic:
    • Old East Slavic: жаль (žalĭ)
  • South Slavic:
  • West Slavic:
    • Czech: žal m
    • Kashubian: żôl m
    • Polish: żal m
    • Slovak: žiaľ m
    • Sorbian:

Further reading

  • Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “жаль”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
  • Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “жал”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 522
  • gėla”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Derksen, Rick (2008) “*žalь”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 553:f. i ‘grief, regret, pity’
  2. ^ Snoj, Marko (2016) “žȁl”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar [Slovenian Etymology Dictionary] (in Slovene), 3rd edition, https://fran.si:*ža̋lь
  3. ^ Olander, Thomas (2001) “žalь”, in Common Slavic Accentological Word List[1], Copenhagen: Editiones Olander:a (RPT 99)