Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/modliti

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

From metathesis *-ld- > *-dl-, inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *maldī́ˀtei, from Proto-Indo-European *moldʰ-éye-ti, from *meldʰ- (“to ask, pray, beg”).

Baltic cognates include Lithuanian malda (“request”), maldýti (“to pray for”).

Indo-European cognates include Hittite 𒈠𒀀𒀠𒁲 (ma-a-al-di /⁠māldi⁠/, “to recite, make a vow”, 3sg.pres.act.), German melden (“to report, tell”), Old Armenian մաղթեմ (małtʻem).

Verb

modlìti impf

1. (transitive, intransitive) to ask, pray

Conjugation

Conjugation of *modliti, *modli, *modlitь (impf., -i-, s-aorist, accent paradigm b)

Suffix: *-iti
― iterative (*nositi⇐*nesti)
― causative (*pojiti⇐*piti)
― ...

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*modľenьje	*modliti	*modlitъ	*modlilъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*modľenъ	*modlimъ
Active	*modľь	*modlę

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*modlixъ	*modli	*modli	*modľǫ	*modliši	*modlitь
Dual	*modlixově	*modlista	*modliste	*modlivě	*modlita	*modlite
Plural	*modlixomъ	*modliste	*modlišę	*modlimъ	*modlite	*modlętь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*modľaaxъ	*modľaaše	*modľaaše	—	*modli	*modli
Dual	*modľaaxově	*modľaašeta	*modľaašete	*modlivě	*modlita	—
Plural	*modľaaxomъ	*modľaašete	*modľaaxǫ	*modlimъ	*modlite	—

Notes:
• (*)*modlivъ is a later doublet of the past active participle

Derived terms

• *modla
• *modlitva

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: молити (moliti)
    • Old Ruthenian: моли́ти (molíti)
      • Belarusian: малі́ць (malícʹ)
      • Ukrainian: моли́ти (molýty)
    • Russian: моли́ть (molítʹ)
      • → Kildin Sami: мо̄ллэ (mōlle)
  • Old Novgorodian: моглити (mogliti)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: молити (moliti)

    Glagolitic script: ⰿⱁⰾⰻⱅⰻ (moliti)

  • Bulgarian: моля (molja)
  • Macedonian: моли (moli)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: мо̀лити

    Latin script: mòliti

  • Slovene: moliti
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: modliti
    • Czech: modlit
  • Kashubian: mòdlëc sã
  • Polish: modlić się
  • Slovak: modliť sa
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: modlić
    • Lower Sorbian: módliś

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “молить”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “молить”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 3rd edition, volumes 1 (а – пантомима), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 539