Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/dręzga

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 1

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *drenskāˀ, of onomatopoeic origin, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰren- (“to buzz”) + *-zgъ.

Probably related to Sanskrit ध्रणति (dhráṇati, “to sound”), Old Irish drésacht (“crackling, noise”), German trensen (“to make a prolonged moo”), Dutch drenzen (“to moan”), Ancient Greek θρῆνος (thrênos, “lamentation for the deceased”), Proto-Germanic *drēnuz (“drone”), Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌿𐍃 (drunjus, “sound”), Old Prussian droanse (“corncrake”).

Noun

*dręzga f

1. scuffle, squabble

   Synonyms: *vьrěva, *karanica

Alternative forms

• *dręzgъ m (possibly)

Declension

Declension of *dręzga (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*dręzga	*dręzdzě	*dręzgy
genitive	*dręzgy	*dręzgu	*dręzgъ
dative	*dręzdzě	*dręzgama	*dręzgamъ
accusative	*dręzgǫ	*dręzdzě	*dręzgy
instrumental	*dręzgojǫ, *dręzgǫ**	*dręzgama	*dręzgami
locative	*dręzdzě	*dręzgu	*dręzgasъ, *dręzgaxъ*
vocative	*dręzgo	*dręzdzě	*dręzgy

^* -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).

Related terms

• *drьnъ (“clang, tang”)
  • *dьrnъkati (“to clatter”)

Derived terms

• *dręzgavъ (“hoarse, husky (for voice)”)
• *dręzgati (“to rattle, to scold, to argue”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: дрязги (drjazgi)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: дрязга (drjazga) (either from Russian or a back-formation from *dręzgavъ)

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “дрязг”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “дрезгав¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 424

Etymology 2

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *drengskāˀ, probably equivalent to the e-grade of *drǫgъ (“pole, branch”) +‎ *-zgъ +‎ *-a, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreng- (“to shove, to drink”)/*dʰrengʰ- (“stake”). Possibly akin to Lithuanian dréngti (“to tear, to rub”) and Proto-Germanic *drankiz (“sth gulped/shoved in one's mouth, drink”), Proto-Germanic *drangijaz (“stake”). In some dialects overlapping with Proto-Slavic *drězga (“murky, muddy place”).

Semantically similar to *dьraka (“bush, scrubs”) but the two are likely unrelated.

Noun

*drę̀zga f

1. small forest, grove
2. swamp, damp place

Declension

Declension of *dręzga (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*dręzga	*dręzdzě	*dręzgy
genitive	*dręzgy	*dręzgu	*dręzgъ
dative	*dręzdzě	*dręzgama	*dręzgamъ
accusative	*dręzgǫ	*dręzdzě	*dręzgy
instrumental	*dręzgojǫ, *dręzgǫ**	*dręzgama	*dręzgami
locative	*dręzdzě	*dręzgu	*dręzgasъ, *dręzgaxъ*
vocative	*dręzgo	*dręzdzě	*dręzgy

^* -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).

Related terms

• *dręgati (“to poke”)

Derived terms

• *dręzgakъ (“grove”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: дря́згa (drjázga)
  • Ukrainian: дрáзгa (drázha) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: дрѧзга (dręzga)
  • Bulgarian: дре́зга (drézga), дрезга́ (drezgá)
    • ⇒ Bulgarian: дрезда́к (drezdák), dial. дръзда́к (drǎzdák) (via dissimilation of *-zg- > *-zd- next to *-k-)
• West Slavic:
  • Polish: drzęzg m (dialectal)
  • Slovak: drezka (“snot, branch”)
  • Sorbian:
    • ⇒ Upper Sorbian: Drežďany (“forest dwellers”)
      • → German: Dresden

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1978), “*dręzga/dręzgъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 5 (*dělo – *dьržьlь), Moscow: Nauka, page 113
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “дрезга”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 423