Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/gotovъ

Of unclear origin.

It was suggested (e.g. Kroonen) that the word is borrowed from a reflect of unattested adjective Proto-Germanic *gatawaz, deverbal adjective from the root of *tawjaną (“to make, complete”), probably from Gothic, cf. 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gataujan, “to do, make, effect”).^[1] This view is usually rejected, Pronk-Tiethoff considers a loan possible, but admits that native origin cannot be excluded.

Native origin is prevailing, however, few propositions exist:

• back-formation from *gotoviti (“to prepare”), unlikely
• per Kiparsky, from *gotъ (> Upper Sorbian hot (“preparation”) and derivative Lower Sorbian gotnica (“factory”)) *-ovъ, with *gotъ being cognate of Albanian gat. However, Sorbian words are suspected of being back-formations.
• some relation with Ancient Greek νη-γάτεος (nē-gáteos, “new-made”), Sanskrit घटते (ghaṭate, “to strive”)
• from Proto-Indo-European *gʷātu-, supine of *gʷā- (“to go”), for meaning shift cf. Old High German fartig (“ready”) from fart (“ride, trip”). See also *gatь (“path (through swamp)”). That makes anlaut -o- problematic.

*gotovъ is often compared to Albanian gat, gati (“ready”), but currently these are usually believed to be early loans from Slavic. Some suggested that Lithuanian gãtavas, Latvian gatavs (“ready”) and Old Prussian pogattawint (“to prepare”) are cognates to Slavic which point to Proto-Balto-Slavic *gatawas, however, it is usually believed Baltic words are borrowed from Slavic (e.g. on the basis of the accent, Smoczyński considers the Lithuanian word to be a loan from Old Polish).^[2]

*gotòvъ^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

1. finished, completed
2. ready, prepared, arranged
3. ready, willing, decided

• *gotovati
• *gotoviti

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: готовъ (gotovŭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: готовый (hotovyj)
      • Belarusian: гато́вы (hatóvy)
      • Carpathian Rusyn: гото́вый (hotóvŷj)
      • Ukrainian: гото́вий (hotóvyj)
    • Russian: гото́вый (gotóvyj)
  • Old Novgorodian: готовъ (gotovŭ)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: готовъ (gotovŭ)

    Glagolitic script: ⰳⱁⱅⱁⰲⱏ (gotovŭ)

    • Bulgarian: гото́в (gotóv)
    • Macedonian: готов (gotov)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Latin script: gòtov

    Cyrillic script: го̀тов

  • Slovene: gotȍv (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: hotový
    • Czech: hotový
  • Old Polish: gotowy, gotów
    • Polish: gotowy
    • Silesian: gotowy
  • Old Slovak: hotový
    • Slovak: hotový
    • Pannonian Rusyn: готови (hotovi)
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: gòtowi
    • Slovincian: gôtôwy
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: hotowy
    • Lower Sorbian: gótowy

• Non-Slavic:
  • →? Albanian: gat, gati
  • →? Lithuanian: gãtavas
  • →? Latvian: gatavs
  • →⇒? Old Prussian: pogattawint
  • →? Romanian: gata

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “гото́вый”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Melnychuk, O. S., editor (1982–2012), “готовий”, in Етимологічний словник української мови [Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• Václav Machek (1968) “hotový”, in Etymologický slovník jazyka českého [Etymological Dictionary of the Czech Language], 2nd edition, Prague: Academia, page 178
• Rejzek, Jiří (2001) “hotový”, in Český etymologický slovník [Czech Etymological Dictionary] (in Czech), 1st edition, Voznice: LEDA, →ISBN, page 215
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “готов”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 268