Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/bъrkati

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

Probably polygenetic. Proposed origins:

• Some of the meanings from *bъrkъ (“whisker, quill”) +‎ *-ati, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“to pierce, to bore”).
• Onomatopoeic, akin to Proto-Slavic *bъrčati (“to buzz, to drone, to whizz”), *burkati (“to growl, to grumble”) and Lithuanian bur̃kti, bur̃kšti (“to bang, to rattle”).

Compare also Proto-Slavic *brъkati (“to shove, to mingle, to stir”).

Verb

*bъrkàti impf (perfective *bъrknǫti or *bъrkovati)

1. to trim, to crop (feathers, beard) (in East Slavic)
2. to flatter (wings) → to whoosh, to hurl, to fly away (in West Slavic)
3. to poke, to kick

   → (by extension) to wrinkle, to curl

   → (figurative) to chase away

4. (reflexive) to drive, to swing oneself

Alternative forms

• *bъrxati

Conjugation

Conjugation of *bъrkati, *bъrka, *bъrčetь (impf., -a/j-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*bъrkanьje	*bъrkati	*bъrkatъ	*bъrkalъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*bъrkanъ	*bъrčemъ
Active	*bъrkavъ	*bъrčę

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*bъrkaxъ	*bъrka	*bъrka	*bъrčǫ	*bъrčeši	*bъrčetь
Dual	*bъrkaxově	*bъrkasta	*bъrkaste	*bъrčevě	*bъrčeta	*bъrčete
Plural	*bъrkaxomъ	*bъrkaste	*bъrkašę	*bъrčemъ	*bъrčete	*bъrčǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*bъrkaaxъ	*bъrkaaše	*bъrkaaše	—	*bъrči	*bъrči
Dual	*bъrkaaxově	*bъrkaašeta	*bъrkaašete	*bъrčivě	*bъrčita	—
Plural	*bъrkaaxomъ	*bъrkaašete	*bъrkaaxǫ	*bъrčimъ	*bъrčite	—

Conjugation of *bъrkati, *bъrka, *bъrkajetь (impf., -a-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*bъrkanьje	*bъrkati	*bъrkatъ	*bъrkalъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*bъrkanъ	*bъrkajemъ
Active	*bъrkavъ	*bъrkaję

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*bъrkaxъ	*bъrka	*bъrka	*bъrkajǫ	*bъrkaješi	*bъrkajetь
Dual	*bъrkaxově	*bъrkasta	*bъrkaste	*bъrkajevě	*bъrkajeta	*bъrkajete
Plural	*bъrkaxomъ	*bъrkaste	*bъrkašę	*bъrkajemъ	*bъrkajete	*bъrkajǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*bъrkaaxъ	*bъrkaaše	*bъrkaaše	—	*bъrkaji	*bъrkaji
Dual	*bъrkaaxově	*bъrkaašeta	*bъrkaašete	*bъrkajivě	*bъrkajita	—
Plural	*bъrkaaxomъ	*bъrkaašete	*bъrkaaxǫ	*bъrkajimъ	*bъrkajite	—

Derived terms

• *pribъrkati (“to beat, to stroke”)
• *vъbъrkati, *ubъrkati (“to poke into”)

Related terms

• *borti (“to fight, to challenge”)
• *bъrčiti (“to wrinkle, to curl”)
  • *bъrčьka (“wrinkle”)
• *bъrkъ (“whisker, quill”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: бо́ркать (bórkatʹ)
  • Ukrainian: бо́ркати (bórkaty, “to trim bird's feathers”)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: бъ́ркам (bǎ́rkam), бъ́рча (bǎ́rča)
  • Macedonian: брка (brka, “to chase”)
  • Serbo-Croatian: (dialectal)

    Cyrillic script: бр̀кати (“to beat, to smack”)

    Latin script: br̀kati (“to beat, to smack”)

  • Slovene: brkljáti (tonal orthography), bŕcati
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: brkat, brchat
  • Old Polish: barkać
  • Slovak: bŕkať
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: barkaś
    • Upper Sorbian: barkać

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1976), “*bъrkati (sę)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 3 (*bratrьcь – *cьrky), Moscow: Nauka, page 126
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “боркать”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “бъркам”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 102