Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/natь

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

Alternative reconstructions

• *nati (r-stem)

Etymology

Akin to Latvian nâtrе, Lithuanian nõterė, notrė̃, Old Prussian noatis, of disputed origin:

• Trubačev, Toporov draw comparison with Lithuanian nókti (“to grow up, to ripen”), Latvian nãkt (“to come”) (< Proto-Balto-Slavic *nā́ˀktei (“to bring forward”)), possibly further Proto-Germanic *nēhwaz (“near”). Trubačev even proposes derivation from the verb, which is phonetically problematic (expected in that case would be **naťь). Per Toporov, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ə₂en- / *ə₂n-.
• Machek alternatively links it to Proto-Slavic *navь (“death”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₂- (“inert, dejected”). Doubted by Trubačev.
• Kroonen considers the Slavic to be borrowed from Proto-Germanic *natǭ (“nettle”).

Noun

*natь f

1. The aboveground parts (leaves and stems) of some vegetables and herbs.

   Synonyms: *bъty, *bъturь

Inflection

Declension of *natь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*natь	*nati	*nati
genitive	*nati	*natьju, *naťu*	*natьjь, *nati*
dative	*nati	*natьma	*natьmъ
accusative	*natь	*nati	*nati
instrumental	*natьjǫ, *naťǫ*	*natьma	*natьmi
locative	*nati	*natьju, *naťu*	*natьxъ
vocative	*nati	*nati	*nati

^* 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).

Derived terms

• *natina, *natyni

Related terms

• *na (“on”), *nakъ (“backside”) (possibly)
  • *načiti (“to set up”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Ukrainian: нать (natʹ)
  • ⇒ Old Ruthenian: нати́на (natína)
    • Belarusian: наці́на (nacína)
    • Ukrainian: нати́ня (natýnja), нати́на (natýna)
  • ⇒ Russian: нати́на (natína)
• South Slavic:
  • ⇒ Serbo-Croatian: (obsolete)

    Cyrillic script: натије

    Latin script: natije

  • Slovene: nȃt (tonal orthography) (dialectal)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: nat
    • Czech: nať
  • Old Polish: nać
    • Polish: nać
  • Slovak: vňať, vnať (dialectal)
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: naś
    • Upper Sorbian: nać

• Non-Slavic:
  • → Proto-Finnic: *naatti (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “нати́на”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• “nokti”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012