Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/drabъ

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

Based on similarities with Proto-West Germanic *trappā (“staircase”) (whence German Treppe (“stairs”), Dutch trap (“staircase”)), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dreb-, from an extension of *derH- (“to tear, to tug”). The long grade in Slavic is likely due to Winter's law.

Per Vasmer, Russian "soft" vocalism is of expressive origin.

Noun

*drabъ m

1. staircase (of а ladder)
2. (by generalization) part of framework

Alternative forms

• *drabь f

Declension

Declension of *drabъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*drabъ	*draba	*drabi
genitive	*draba	*drabu	*drabъ
dative	*drabu	*draboma	*drabomъ
accusative	*drabъ	*draba	*draby
instrumental	*drabъmь, *drabomь*	*draboma	*draby
locative	*drabě	*drabu	*draběxъ
vocative	*drabe	*draba	*drabi

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Derived terms

• *drabina (“ladder”)
• *drabьcь (“vane, oak of plow”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: дра́бы pl (dráby, “ribs”)
  • Russian: дря́бы pl (drjáby, “carriage”)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Polish: drab
    • ⇒ Polish: drabka (regional)

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1978), “*drabъ/мн. *draby”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 5 (*dělo – *dьržьlь), Moscow: Nauka, page 100
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “дрябы”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress

Etymology 2

• Trubačev tentatively identifies/relates it with Etymology 1.
• Derksen connects it instead to Lithuanian dróbė (“linen cloth”), Latvian drẽbe (“piece of clothing”). Further akin to Lithuanian drėbti (“to strike”), Latvian drêbt (“to beat”), Proto-Germanic *drepaną (“to hit”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreb- (“to shear, to beat”). Perhaps also related to Proto-Slavic *drebъxa (“cloth, dress”) from *dʰrebʰ- (“to fracture”).

Principally homophonous with Old Czech dráb (“beadle”), of German origin. From there may also descend colloquial Ukrainian драб (drab, “begger”).

Noun

*drabъ m

1. clothing, rag

Declension

Declension of *drabъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*drabъ	*draba	*drabi
genitive	*draba	*drabu	*drabъ
dative	*drabu	*draboma	*drabomъ
accusative	*drabъ	*draba	*draby
instrumental	*drabъmь, *drabomь*	*draboma	*draby
locative	*drabě	*drabu	*draběxъ
vocative	*drabe	*draba	*drabi

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Descendants

• West Slavic:
  • Moravian Czech: zdraby pl
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: draby pl

References

Further reading

• Derksen, Rick (2015) “drobė”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 141
• Melnychuk, O. S., editor (1982–2012), “драб”, in Етимологічний словник української мови [Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka