Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/žestokъ
Proto-Slavic
Etymology
Extended from an earlier *žestъ + *-okъ, parallel to *žestъkъ (k-extended u-stem). Further origin uncertain.
Mladenov, Iljinsky considered relation with Latin hostis (“enemy”) (meaning developed from an original “guest” → “foreigner, stranger” → “foe”), Sanskrit घसति (ghásati, “to eat, to nurish”) from Proto-Indo-European *gʰes- (“to host”), which nowadays is usually rejected for semantic reasons. Skok tentatively proposes derivation from Proto-Slavic *žegťi (“to heat up”) (probably on account of the Serbo-Croatian meaning “bitter, sour”), which is phonotactically dubious. Per Vasmer, more likely akin to Old Norse kǫs f (“heap, pile”), Old High German kes n (“(mountain) glacier”) or perhaps Irish gallán (“pillar, stone”) < *gaslā.
Adjective
*žestòkъ[1]
- stern, hard, stiff, rigid (for material)
- (in Serbo-Croatian) bitter, sour (for taste)
- (figurative) cruel, fierce, harsh, severe (for personality, behavior, attitude)
Declension
Accent paradigm C
| singular | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *žestokъ | *žestoka | *žestoko |
| genitive | *žestoka | *žestoky | *žestoka |
| dative | *žestoku | *žestokě | *žestoku |
| accusative | *žestokъ | *žestokǫ | *žestoko |
| instrumental | *žestokomь | *žestokojǫ | *žestokomь |
| locative | *žestokě | *žestokě | *žestokě |
| vocative | *žestoke | *žestoko | *žestoko |
| dual | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | *žestoka | *žestokě | *žestokě |
| genitive | *žestoku | *žestoku | *žestoku |
| dative | *žestokoma | *žestokama | *žestokoma |
| accusative | *žestoka | *žestokě | *žestokě |
| instrumental | *žestokoma | *žestokama | *žestokoma |
| locative | *žestoku | *žestoku | *žestoku |
| vocative | *žestoka | *žestokě | *žestokě |
| plural | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | *žestoki | *žestoky | *žestoka |
| genitive | *žestokъ | *žestokъ | *žestokъ |
| dative | *žestokomъ | *žestokamъ | *žestokomъ |
| accusative | *žestoky | *žestoky | *žestoka |
| instrumental | *žestoky | *žestokami | *žestoky |
| locative | *žestokěxъ | *žestokaxъ | *žestokěxъ |
| vocative | *žestoki | *žestoky | *žestoka |
| singular | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *žestokъjь | *žestokaja | *žestokoje |
| genitive | *žestokajego | *žestokyję̇ | *žestokajego |
| dative | *žestokujemu | *žestokěji | *žestokujemu |
| accusative | *žestokъjь | *žestokǫjǫ | *žestokoje |
| instrumental | *žestokyjimь | *žestokǫjǫ | *žestokyjimь |
| locative | *žestokějemь | *žestokěji | *žestokějemь |
| vocative | *žestokъjь | *žestokaja | *žestokoje |
| dual | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | *žestokaja | *žestokěji | *žestokěji |
| genitive | *žestokuju | *žestokuju | *žestokuju |
| dative | *žestokyjima | *žestokyjima | *žestokyjima |
| accusative | *žestokaja | *žestokěji | *žestokěji |
| instrumental | *žestokyjima | *žestokyjima | *žestokyjima |
| locative | *žestokuju | *žestokuju | *žestokuju |
| vocative | *žestokaja | *žestokěji | *žestokěji |
| plural | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | *žestokiji | *žestokyję̇ | *žestokaja |
| genitive | *žestokъjixъ | *žestokъjixъ | *žestokъjixъ |
| dative | *žestokyjimъ | *žestokyjimъ | *žestokyjimъ |
| accusative | *žestokyję̇ | *žestokyję̇ | *žestokaja |
| instrumental | *žestokyjimi | *žestokyjimi | *žestokyjimi |
| locative | *žestokyjixъ | *žestokyjixъ | *žestokyjixъ |
| vocative | *žestokiji | *žestokyję̇ | *žestokaja |
Derived terms
- *оžestočiti/*оžestočati, *užestočiti (“to harden, to make severe”)
- *žestokostь (“cruelty”)
Related terms
Descendants
- East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: жестокъ (žestokŭ)
- Belarusian: жасто́кі (žastóki)
- Russian: жесто́кий (žestókij)
- Ukrainian: жорсто́кий (žorstókyj)
- Old East Slavic: жестокъ (žestokŭ)
- South Slavic:
- Non-Slavic:
- → Romanian: jestoc
Further reading
- Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “жестокий”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
- Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “жесто̀к”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 538