Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/xalěpa

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

Uncertain. Etymological hypotheses follow two lines of logic:

  • Petersson: Derived from *xal- +‎ *-ěpa/*-ipa, cognate with South Slavic mythological creature *xala (typhon, hail-bringer) and possibly Old Armenian խաղ (xał, marsh; impure, dirty) (the later rejected by Vasmer). Berneker further adds as a potential cognate dialectal Serbo-Croatian ха̏ла (dirt, grime). Possibly akin to Lithuanian skaláuti (to rinse).
  • Trubačev: Compound of *xa- +‎ *lěp-/*lip- (sticky) +‎ *-a. First element, perhaps from Proto-Slavic *xati (to reel, to stagger; to be concerned), *xajь (trouble, cumbersome endeavour). Compare analogous development in Proto-Slavic *metělь, *metělica (blizzard) from *mesti (to sweep, to project).

Perhaps, parallel to ē-ablauted *šalěpa (bad weather), found in dialectal Russian ша́лепа (šálepa), Belarusian ша́ліпа (šálipa).

A secondary meaning “trouble, hardship”, attested in Ukrainian and South Russian (Kursk oblast), may have been borrowed independently from Ancient Greek χαλεπός (khalepós, difficult, harsh) or has evolved via semantic shift alike Bulgarian несго́да (nesgóda, trouble, bad luck) - a negation of earleir *sъgoda (good weather, proper time).

Noun

*xalěpa f

  1. bad weather
    Synonyms: *dъžďь, (South Slavic) *dьrča, (East Slavic) *padorga
  2. slush, mire
    Synonyms: *slǫkъtь, *kyša

Alternative forms

  • *xalipa
  • (possibly) *šalěpa

Declension

Declension of *xalěpa (hard a-stem, accent paradigm a)
singular dual plural
nominative *xalěpa *xalěpě *xalěpy
genitive *xalěpy *xalěpu *xalěpъ
dative *xalěpě *xalěpama *xalěpamъ
accusative *xalěpǫ *xalěpě *xalěpy
instrumental *xalěpojǫ, *xalěpǭ** *xalěpama *xalěpamī
locative *xalěpě *xalěpu *xalěpasъ, *xalěpaxъ*
vocative *xalěpo *xalěpě *xalěpy

* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
** 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).

Descendants

  • East Slavic:
    • Old East Slavic: Халѣпъ (Xalěpŭ), Халепа (Xalepa) (personal name)
    • Belarusian: ха́лепа (xáljepa), ха́ліпа (xálipa, sleet); (dialectal) ха́ляпа (xáljapa, slush)
    • Russian: ха́лепа (xálepa), ха́липа (xálipa) (dialectal)
    • Ukrainian: ха́лепа (xálepa), ха́липа (xálypa, bad weather) (dated)

Further reading

  • Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “халепа”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
  • Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1981), “*xalěpa? / *xalipa?”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 8 (*xa – *jьvьlga), Moscow: Nauka, page 14