Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/drebězgъ

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

Equivalent to *drеbь (“debris”) +‎ *-zgъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *dreb, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- (“to fracture”). Cognate with Lithuanian drebė̃znos (“remnant, piece”) and possibly Latvian drubazas.

Parallel to Proto-Slavic *drobězgъ (“crumbs, small fry”).

Noun

*drebězgъ m

1. fragment, shard
2. (onomatopoeic) tinkling, sound of breaking

Alternative forms

• *drebězga f

Declension

Declension of *drebězgъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*drebězgъ	*drebězga	*drebězdzi
genitive	*drebězga	*drebězgu	*drebězgъ
dative	*drebězgu	*drebězgoma	*drebězgomъ
accusative	*drebězgъ	*drebězga	*drebězgy
instrumental	*drebězgъmь, *drebězgomь*	*drebězgoma	*drebězgy
locative	*drebězdzě	*drebězgu	*drebězdzěxъ
vocative	*dreběždže	*drebězga	*drebězdzi

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

Related terms

• *drebъ (“residue of linen, wool”)
  • *drebъxa (“dress”)
• *drebьnъ (“tiny, small”)
• *drebiti (“to quiver, to crush”)
• *dreboliti (“to break apart”)
• *drobъ (“chunk; liver, intestine”)
• *droba (“sediment”)
• *drobь (“fraction, part”)
  • *drobiti (“to fraction, to crush”)
  • *drobina (“intestine, entrails”)

Derived terms

• *dreběždžati (“to tinkle”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: дре́безг (drébezg)
• West Slavic:
  • Sorbian:
    • → Upper Sorbian: drjebjeńca

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “дре́безг”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1978), “*drebězgъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 5 (*dělo – *dьržьlь), Moscow: Nauka, page 105