Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/kukati

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

Of onomatopoeic origin, formed from the interjection ku-ku! (“sound of cuckooing”) + *-kati. Cognate with Lithuanian kukúoti, Latvian kukuôt and akin to Ancient Greek κόκκῡξ (kókkūx), Latin cucūlus, English cuckoo, Sanskrit कोकिल (kokila).

Verb

*kùkati impf (perfective *kuknǫti)

1. to cuckoo

Inflection

Conjugation of *kukati, *kuka, *kukajetь (impf., -a-, s-aorist, accent paradigm a)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*kukanьje	*kukati	*kukatъ	*kukalъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*kukanъ	*kukajemъ
Active	*kukavъ	*kukaję

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*kukaxъ	*kuka	*kuka	*kukajǫ	*kukaješi	*kukajetь
Dual	*kukaxově	*kukasta	*kukaste	*kukajevě	*kukajeta	*kukajete
Plural	*kukaxomъ	*kukaste	*kukašę	*kukajemъ	*kukajete	*kukajǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*kukaaxъ	*kukaaše	*kukaaše	—	*kukaji	*kukaji
Dual	*kukaaxově	*kukaašeta	*kukaašete	*kukajivě	*kukajita	—
Plural	*kukaaxomъ	*kukaašete	*kukaaxǫ	*kukajimъ	*kukajite	—

Related terms

• *kukuvica (“cuckoo, gowk”)
• *kukyrica (“partridge”)
• *kukъ (“vengeful spirit”), *kuka (“sprite, gnome”)
• *kučę (“dog”) (in South Slavic)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: ку́кать (kúkatʹ) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: ку́кам (kúkam)
  • Macedonian: кука (kuka)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ку̏кати

    Latin script: kȕkati

  • Slovene: kūkati
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: kukati
  • Polish: kukać

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “ку́кать”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1987), “*kukati I”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 13 (*kroměžirъ – *kyžiti), Moscow: Nauka, page 89
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “кукам¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 86

Etymology 2

Denominal from *kuka (“hook”) +‎ *-ati, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *kaukāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *kewk- (“to hook, to elevate”). Akin to Lithuanian kùkti (“to bend forward”), Latvian kukt (“to bow”), German hocken (from an earlier *hukkōną).

Verb

*kùkati impf

1. to squat

   Synonym: *klękati

2. to pound

Alternative forms

• *kučati (in Slovene, West Slavic)

Inflection

Conjugation of *kukati, *kuka, *kukajetь (perf., -a-, s-aorist, accent paradigm a)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*kukanьje	*kukati	*kukatъ	*kukalъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*kukanъ	—
Active	*kukavъ	—

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*kukaxъ	*kuka	*kuka	*kukajǫ	*kukaješi	*kukajetь
Dual	*kukaxově	*kukasta	*kukaste	*kukajevě	*kukajeta	*kukajete
Plural	*kukaxomъ	*kukaste	*kukašę	*kukajemъ	*kukajete	*kukajǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	—	—	—	—	*kukaji	*kukaji
Dual	—	—	—	*kukajivě	*kukajita	—
Plural	—	—	—	*kukajimъ	*kukajite	—

Notes:
• In perfective verbs, present expresses future

See also

• *kuka (“hook”)
• *kuča (“heap”)
• *čuka (“hill, peak”)
• *čukati (“to hew”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: ку́чаць (kúčacʹ)
  • Russian: ку́кать (kúkatʹ, “to pound”) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: ку́кам (kúkam)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ку̏кати (“to hammer”) (obsolete)

    Latin script: kȕkati (“to hammer”) (obsolete)

    Latin script: čučati (“to squat, to crouch”)

  • Slovene: kúčati
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: kučat (dialectal)
  • Polish: kucać

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1977), “*čučati”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 4 (*čaběniti – *děľa), Moscow: Nauka, page 126
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1987), “*kukati II”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 13 (*kroměžirъ – *kyžiti), Moscow: Nauka, page 89
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “кукам²”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 86