Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/gajь

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 1

Of onomatopoeic nature, from the call *ga! +‎ *-jь. Related to Proto-Slavic *gajati (to caw, to croak), from Proto-Indo-European *g⁽ʷ⁾eH-. Akin to Lithuanian gáida (melody).

Noun

*gajь m

  1. squeak (high-pitch call)
Alternative forms
  • *gaja f
Declension
Declension of *gajь (soft o-stem)
singular dual plural
nominative *gajь *gaja *gaji
genitive *gaja *gaju *gajь
dative *gaju *gajema *gajemъ
accusative *gajь *gaja *gaję̇
instrumental *gajьmь, *gajemь* *gajema *gaji
locative *gaji *gaju *gajixъ
vocative *gaju *gaja *gaji

* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

Derived terms
  • *gajьno (gaggle, flock of birds)
  • *gajьvornь/*gavornъ (raven, corbie)
  • *gakati (to croak)
  • *gavati (to bark, to cause commotion)
Descendants
  • East Slavic:
    • Russian: гай m (gaj), га́я f (gája) (dialectal)
    • Ukrainian: гай (haj) (dialectal)
      • Ukrainian: гай-гай (haj-haj) (interjection)
      • Ukrainian: гаївка (hajivka, mayfly)
  • West Slavic:
    • Czech: haj (colloquial interjection)
    • Slovak: haj (dialectal interjection)
Further reading
  • Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “гай”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
  • Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*gajь II”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 86
  • гаївка in Горох.ua (Етимологія)

Etymology 2

Per Vasmer and Trubachev, most likely from a long-grade ablaut of *gojiti (to nurture, heal) +‎ *-ъ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- (to live). Perhaps originally meaning thicket or protected, safe spot. Berneker alternatively proposes a derivation from Proto-Slavic *gati (to pass, to go), presumably from an earlier meaning place where one can pass through.

Noun

*gãjь m[1][2]

  1. grove
    Synonyms: *oršča, *gǫstakъ
Declension
Declension of *gãjь (soft o-stem, accent paradigm b)
singular dual plural
nominative *gãjь *gājà *gājì
genitive *gājà *gājù *gãjь
dative *gājù *gājèma *gãjemъ
accusative *gãjь *gājà *gāję̇̀
instrumental *gājь̀mь, *gājèmь* *gājèma *gãji
locative *gājì *gājù *gãjixъ
vocative *gaju *gājà *gājì

* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

Derived terms
  • *gajiti (to nourish, to bring up, to feed, to supply, to secure, to protect)
  • *zagajь, *gajьna (thicket)
  • *gajьka (nut, thread) (possibly)
  • *gojiti (to feed, to become obese)
  • *gojьnъ (fat, saturated)
  • *žiti (to live)
  • *živъ (alive)
Descendants
  • East Slavic:
  • South Slavic:
    • Serbo-Croatian:
      Cyrillic script: га̑ј
      Latin script: gȃj
    • Slovene: gāj (tonal orthography)
  • West Slavic:
  • Non-Slavic:
Further reading
  • Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “гай”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
  • Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*gajь I”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 85
  • gojus”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012

References

  1. ^ Olander, Thomas (2001) “gajь”, in Common Slavic Accentological Word List[1], Copenhagen: Editiones Olander:b (RPT 99)
  2. ^ Snoj, Marko (2016) “gaj”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar [Slovenian Etymology Dictionary] (in Slovene), 3rd edition, https://fran.si:*gajь̏