Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/dętelъ

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

Etymology

Disputed:

Machek, Trubačev, Derksen, Snoj (dominant view): From *dьlbti, *dьlbati (“to delve, to carve”) +‎ *-telъ (o-stem variant of *-teľь), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰelbʰ- (“to dig, excavate”). Akin to dialectal *dьlbačь (attested in Bulgarian and Ukrainian). Nasalization due to presumed dissimilation l-T-l > n-T-l.
Mladenov: From Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”) + *-telъ (cf. Ancient Greek δήξ (dḗx, “woodworm”)) with inherited nasalization, but with no other descendants from the reconstructed root within Balto-Slavic.

Noun

*dę̀telъ m^[1]^[2]

woodpecker
Synonyms: *dьlbačь, *kьlvačь, *žьlna

Alternative forms

*dętьlъ
*dětelъ (Serbian) (probably reanalyzed)

Declension

Declension of *dętelъ (hard o-stem)
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*dętelъ	*dętela	*dęteli
genitive	*dętela	*dętelu	*dętelъ
dative	*dętelu	*dęteloma	*dętelomъ
accusative	*dętelъ	*dętela	*dętely
instrumental	dętelъmь, dętelomь^*	*dęteloma	*dętely
locative	*dętelě	*dętelu	*dętelěxъ
vocative	*dętele	*dętela	*dęteli

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Derived terms

*dętelina (“clover (Trifolium)”)

Related terms

*delto (“chisel”)
*dolto (“chisel”)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Belarusian: дзя́цел (dzjácjel)
- Russian: дя́тел (djátel)
- Ukrainian: дя́тел (djátel)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic: дѧтелъ (dętelŭ)
- Bulgarian: де́тел (détel), де́тло n (détlo) (dialectal)
- Macedonian: детел (detel)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic script: дјетао
  
  Latin script: djetao
- Slovene: dẹ́təł (tonal orthography)
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: dětel
  - Czech: datel
- Kashubian: dzãdzeł, dzãdzół, dzëdzół
- Polish: dzięcioł
- Slovak: ďateľ

References

^ Derksen, Rick (2008) “*dętelъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 107: “m. o ‘woodpecker’”
^ Snoj, Marko (2016) “detel”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar [Slovenian Etymology Dictionary] (in Slovene), 3rd edition, https://fran.si: “Pslovan. *dę̋tьlъ, prvotnejše morda *dę̋telъ”

Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1978), “*dętelъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 5 (*dělo – *dьržьlь), Moscow: Nauka, page 27
Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “дя́тел”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “детел”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 349

[1] Derksen, Rick (2008) “*dętelъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 107: “m. o ‘woodpecker’”

[2] Snoj, Marko (2016) “detel”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar [Slovenian Etymology Dictionary] (in Slovene), 3rd edition, https://fran.si: “Pslovan. *dę̋tьlъ, prvotnejše morda *dę̋telъ”

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