Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/petьlъ

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

Probably from Proto-Germanic *fattilaz (“fettle”) via i-umlaut on the root vowel. Less likely, continuing Proto-Indo-European *pet- (“to replicate, to span”) + *-ьlъ. Most descendants reflect the extension *petьľa, equivalent to *petьlъ +‎ *-ja.

Polish and Slovene forms have been reanalyzed as *pętъľa (or *pǫtъľa) as if from *pęto (“fetter”) +‎ *-ъlъ +‎ *-ja.

Noun

*petь̀lъ m

1. loop, knot

   Synonyms: *ǫzlъ, *vьrzopъ, *primъka

2. picklock
3. (by extension) ornament, decoration

   Synonyms: *ukrasa, *оsъdoba

Alternative forms

• *petьlь m (per Vasmer)
• *petьľa f
• *pętъľa f (reanalyzed, in Polish and Slovene)

Declension

Declension of *petь̀lъ (hard o-stem, accent paradigm b)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*petь̀lъ	*petьlà	*petьlì
genitive	*petьlà	*petьlù	*petь̀lъ
dative	*petьlù	*petьlòma	*petьlòmъ
accusative	*petь̀lъ	*petьlà	*petьlỳ
instrumental	*petьlъ̀mь, *petьlòmь*	*petьlòma	*petь̀ly
locative	*petьlě̀	*petьlù	*petь̀lěxъ
vocative	*petьle	*petьlà	*petьlì

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

Derived terms

• *petьlati, *petьľati (“to knot, to dodge, to mess around”)
• *opetьlavati (“to tangle”)
• *petьlica (“buttonhole”)
• *petьlъka (“snare, button”)
• *petьlьnъ (“twined”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: петель (petelĭ)
  • Belarusian: петля́ (pjetljá)
  • Russian: пе́тля (pétlja), петля́ (petljá)
  • Ukrainian: петля́ (petljá)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: пете́л (petél, “ornament on ritual bread”) (dated), пе́тля (pétlja, “bun”)
    • ⇒ Romanian: peteică (“button”)
  • Macedonian: петел (petel, “picklock”) (dated)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: пе̏тља

    Latin script: pȅtlja

  • Slovene: péntlja, dial. pétlja
• West Slavic:
  • Polish: pętla (under the influence of pęto)
  • ⇒ Old Czech: petlicě (diminutive)
    • Czech: petlice

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “петля”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Duridanov, I. V., Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (1996), “петелка”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 5 (падѐж – пỳска), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 198
• Duridanov, I. V., Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (1996), “петля”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 5 (падѐж – пỳска), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 201