Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/briti

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

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *brī́ˀtei, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰriH-yé-ti, from *bʰreyH- (“to cut”). Cognate with Albanian brij (“to rub, scratch”), Thracian βρίλων (brílōn, “barber”) and Indo-Iranian words (such as Sanskrit भ्रीणाति (bhrīṇā́ti, “to hurt”), Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬠𐬭𐬍𐬥𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (paⁱribrīnaⁱti, “to cut around”), Persian بریدن (boridan, “to cut”)).

Verb

*brìti impf

1. to shave

Inflection

Conjugation of *briti, *bri, *brьjetь (impf., tr., -V-, s-aorist, accent paradigm a)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*britьje	*briti	*britъ	*brilъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*britъ	*brьjemъ
Active	*brivъ	*brьję

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*brixъ	*bri	*bri	*brьjǫ	*brьješi	*brьjetь
Dual	*brixově	*brista	*briste	*brьjevě	*brьjeta	*brьjete
Plural	*brixomъ	*briste	*brišę	*brьjemъ	*brьjete	*brьjǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*brьjaaxъ	*brьjaaše	*brьjaaše	—	*brьji	*brьji
Dual	*brьjaaxově	*brьjaašeta	*brьjaašete	*brьjivě	*brьjita	—
Plural	*brьjaaxomъ	*brьjaašete	*brьjaaxǫ	*brьjimъ	*brьjite	—

Usage notes

• Aorist form is unattested.

Derived terms

• *brìtva (“razor”)

Related terms

• *brojiti (“to count”)
• *brojь (“count”)
• *brimъka (“stitch, seam; juniper”)
• *bričь (“razor”)
• *bridъ (“sharpness, sharp edge”)
• *bridъkъ (“sharp”)

Descendants

• Church Slavonic: брити сѧ (briti sę), 1sg. бриѭ сѧ (brijǫ sę) (Russian recension)

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: брыць (brycʹ)
  • Russian: брить (britʹ), 1sg. бре́ю (bréju)
  • Ukrainian: бри́ти (brýty), 1sg. бри́ю (brýju)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: бри́я (bríja) (dialectal), бри́на (brína) (dialectal)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: бри̏ти (archaic), брѝјати, 1sg. бри̏је̄м

    Latin: brȉti (archaic), brìjati, 1sg. brȉjēm

  • Slovene: bríti (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: bříti (obsolete), 1sg. břiji
  • Slovak: briť

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “брить”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1976), “*briti (sę)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 3 (*bratrьcь – *cьrky), Moscow: Nauka, page 31