Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/mědь
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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
editEtymology
editPerhaps related to Proto-Germanic *smiþaz, Ancient Greek σμῑ́λη (smī́lē), Proto-Celtic *mēnis, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₁y- (“to mince, to twist”). Bernecker conjectures a possible relation between the Slavic term and Hittite [script needed] (miti-, “reddish”). The latter may be the origin[1] of the name of the mythical King Μίδας (Mídas) (of Phrygian origin) who, according to the legend, was cursed to transform any object he touched into gold. Possibly cognate with "medъ".
Noun
editDeclension
editDeclension of *mě̀dь (i-stem, accent paradigm a)
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *mě̀dь | *mě̀di | *mě̀di |
| genitive | *mě̀dī | *mě̀dьju, *mě̀ďu* | *mě̀dьjь, *mě̀dī* |
| dative | *mě̀di | *mě̀dьma | *mě̀dьmъ |
| accusative | *mě̀dь | *mě̀di | *mě̀di |
| instrumental | *mě̀dьjǫ, *mě̀ďǭ* | *mě̀dьma | *mě̀dьmī |
| locative | *mě̀dī | *mě̀dьju, *mě̀ďu* | *mě̀dьxъ |
| vocative | *mědi | *mě̀di | *mě̀di |
* 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
edit- *smědovъ (“brown, hazel”) (probably)
Descendants
edit- East Slavic:
- South Slavic:
- West Slavic:
Further reading
edit- Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “медь”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
- Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1992), “*mědь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 18 (*matoga – *mękyšьka), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 144
- Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “мед²”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 709
References
edit- ^ Brendan Burke (2002) “Anatolian Origins of the Gordian Knot Legend”, in Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 42[1], pages 255–261
- ^ Derksen, Rick (2008) “*mě̀dъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 309: “f. i (a) ‘copper’”
- ^ Olander, Thomas (2001) “mědь mědi, L.sg. mědi”, in Common Slavic Accentological Word List[2], Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “a (SA 137, 188, 199; PR 132; MP 16)”