Reconstruction:Proto-Balto-Slavic/gadás

This Proto-Balto-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-Balto-Slavic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- (“to suit, to gather”). Isogloss with Proto-West Germanic *gad (“union”), *gadur (“together”).

Reconstruction notes

Modern descendants (in both Baltic and Slavic branches) happen to convey the meaning “year”. Inner comparison, however, seems to indicate primary semantics along the lines of “suitable, festive time” (attested in Old Church Slavonic годъ (godŭ), Polish god) or “gathering, matching” (attested in Bulgarian го́да (góda), годе́ж (godéž, “engagement”)). It is possible that Proto-Balto-Slavic *gadás originally denoted some holiday or pagan tradition (cf. Slavic Koleda, Germanic Yule) honouring the end of the year, whence the modern sense.

The accent paradigm is reconstructed solely on the basis of Slavic.

Noun

*gadás m

1. (probably) suitable time or gathering, match

Inflection

Declension of *gadás (o-stem, mobile accent)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*gadás	*gádōˀ	*gadái(ˀ)
Accusative	*gádan	*gádōˀ	*gádō(ˀ)ns
Genitive	*gádā	*gadā́u(ˀ)	*gadṓn
Locative	*gádai	*gadā́u(ˀ)	*gadáišu
Dative	*gádōi	*gadámā(ˀ)	*gadámas
Instrumental	*gádōˀ	*gadámāˀ	*gadṓis
Vocative	*gáde	*gádōˀ	*gadái(ˀ)

Related terms

• *gōdas (“honour, acclaim”)
  • Latvian: gods

Descendants

• East Baltic:
  • Latgalian: gods (“year”)
  • Latvian: gads (“year”)
• West Baltic:
  • ⇒ Old Prussian: Gadix, Gadike (proper names)
• Proto-Slavic: *godъ (“suitable, festive time; year”)

Further reading

• “guodas”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012