Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/sluzь

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 forms

• *sľuzь

Etymology 1

Continues forms of the root Proto-Indo-European *(s)lew- (“to sludge, to wash”). Akin to English slush.

Noun

*sluzь f

1. slime, mucus (usually in static state)

   Synonyms: *liga, *slizь (in mobile state)

Declension

Declension of *sluzь (i-stem)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*sluzь	*sluzi	*sluzi
Accusative	*sluzь	*sluzi	*sluzi
Genitive	*sluzi	*sluzьju, *služu*	*sluzьjь, *sluzi*
Locative	*sluzi	*sluzьju, *služu*	*sluzьxъ
Dative	*sluzi	*sluzьma	*sluzьmъ
Instrumental	*sluzьjǫ, *služǫ*	*sluzьma	*sluzьmi
Vocative	*sluzi	*sluzi	*sluzi

^* 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

• *luga (“mud”)

Derived terms

• *sluzеstъ (“slimy”)
• *sluzьnъ (“slick, lubricous”)
• *ľuzgati (“to splash, to spay”) (possibly)

Descendants

• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: слуз (sluz), слюз (sljuz)
  • Macedonian: слуз (sluz)
  • Serbo-Croatian: slȗz
  • Slovene: slȗz

References

• Todorov T., editor (2010), “слуз”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 7, Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 124

Etymology 2

From an earlier sluzъ, of the same origin as the i-stem. In Polish, this form has merged with the i-stem.

Noun

*sluzь m

1. chunk of slippery material

Declension

Declension of *sluzь (soft o-stem)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*sluzь	*sluza	*sluzi
Accusative	*sluzь	*sluza	*sluzę̇
Genitive	*sluza	*sluzu	*sluzь
Locative	*sluzi	*sluzu	*sluzixъ
Dative	*sluzu	*sluzema	*sluzemъ
Instrumental	*sluzьmь, *sluzemь*	*sluzema	*sluzi
Vocative	*sluzu	*sluza	*sluzi

^* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

Derived terms

• *sluzovъ (“slippery, slimy”)
  • *sluzovostь (“slipperiness”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: слуз (sluz) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: слоузъ (sluzŭ)
• West Slavic:
  • Polish: śluz