Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/věďa

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 1

According to Miklošič, related to *viděti (“to see”), presumably reflecting an earlier *waiˀdjāˀ.

More recent proposals view it as a back-formation of an earlier *wēˀk-dāˀi, the dual of a *-da derivative of synonym *věko. Based on the alternating dual forms вѣдѣ (vědě) : вѣжди (věždi). The reanalysis as a ja-stem is explained with the palatalization of velar + dental consonant clusters before front vowels.

Noun

*věďa f

1. eyelid

   Synonym: *věko

2. eyebrow

   Synonym: *bry

Declension

Declension of *věďa (soft a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*věďa	*věďi	*věďę̇
genitive	*věďę̇	*věďu	*věďь
dative	*věďi	*věďama	*věďamъ
accusative	*věďǫ	*věďi	*věďę̇
instrumental	*věďejǫ, *věďǫ**	*věďama	*věďami
locative	*věďi	*věďu	*věďasъ, *věďaxъ*
vocative	*věďe	*věďi	*věďę̇

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** 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).

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: вѣжа (věža)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: вѣжда (věžda)
    • → Russian: ве́жда (véžda)
  • Bulgarian: ве́жда (véžda), вя́жда (vjážda) (dialectal)
  • Macedonian: веѓа (veǵa)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ве̏ђа, вје̏ђа

    Latin script: vȅđa, vjȅđa

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “вежда”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress

Etymology 2

From *věděti +‎ *-ja.

Noun

*věďa f

1. knowledge

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: вѣжа (věža)
    • Russian: ве́жа (véža)
• West Slavic:
  • Kashubian: wiédzô (“knowledge”)
  • Polish: wiedza (“knowledge”)
  • Silesian: wiedza (“knowledge”)

Derived terms

• *nevěďa
  • Old East Slavic: невѣжа (nevěža)
    • Russian: неве́жа (nevéža)
  • Old Church Slavonic: невѣжда (nevěžda)
    • → Russian: неве́жда (nevéžda)
  • West Slavic:
    • Polish: niewiedza
• *věďьstvo
  • Old East Slavic: вѣжество (věžestvo)
    • Russian: вежество́ (vežestvó), ве́жство (véžstvo) (dated)
  • Old Church Slavonic: вѣждьство (věždĭstvo)

Related terms

• *věděti (“to know”)
• *vědьma (“witch”)
• *věstъ (“known”)
• *věstь (“message”)
• *věščь (“proficient, wise”)
• *nevěsta (“bride”)

Further reading

• Anikin, A. E. (2012) “ве́жа II”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 6 (вал – вершок), Moscow: LRC, Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 180
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “невежа”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress