< Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic

Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/medvědь

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 Proto-Balto-Slavic *medwḗˀdis (originally probably a consonant stem *medwēˀd-, later reformed into an i-stem based on the accusative in *-in, as typical in Balto-Slavic), equivalent to *medъ (“honey”) +‎ *(j)ěsti (“to eat”), hence literally the epithet "honey-eater". Cognate with Sanskrit मध्वद् (madhv-ád-, “eating sweetness”) (RV I 164,22). Presumably came into use as taboo avoidance of an earlier word, possibly something like *rьstъ (compare Lithuanian irštvà (“bear's den”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos). Similar proposed examples of linguistic taboo for 'bear' are Proto-Germanic *berô (“the brown one”), Latvian lācis (“stomper, pounder”), Sanskrit भल्ल (bhalla) and Old Irish math (“the good one”).

There is a false etymology from *medъ and *věděti (“to know, to manage”), hence "one who knows honey" or "honey master".

Noun

*medvě̀dь m[1][2]

  1. bear

Declension

Reconstructed as a jo-stem in Derksen 2008, since no descendants reflect an i-stem. But may have originally been an i-stem based on the lack of iotation of the final *d.

Declension of *medvě̀dь (soft o-stem, accent paradigm a)
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative *medvě̀dь *medvě̀da *medvě̀di
Accusative *medvě̀dь *medvě̀da *medvě̀dę̇
Genitive *medvě̀da *medvě̀du *medvě̀dь
Locative *medvě̀di *medvě̀du *medvě̀dīxъ
Dative *medvě̀du *medvě̀dema *medvě̀dēmъ
Instrumental *medvě̀dьmь, *medvě̀demь* *medvě̀dema *medvě̀dī
Vocative *medvě̀du *medvě̀da *medvě̀di
* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.
Declension of *medvě̀dь (i-stem, accent paradigm a)
Singular Dual Plural
Nominative *medvě̀dь *medvě̀di *medvě̀dьjē, *medvě̀ďē*
Accusative *medvě̀dь *medvě̀di *medvě̀di
Genitive *medvě̀dī *medvě̀dьju, *medvě̀ďu* *medvě̀dьjь, *medvě̀dī*
Locative *medvě̀dī *medvě̀dьju, *medvě̀ďu* *medvě̀dьxъ
Dative *medvě̀di *medvě̀dьma *medvě̀dьmъ
Instrumental *medvě̀dьmь *medvě̀dьma *medvě̀dьmī
Vocative *medvědi *medvě̀di *medvě̀dьjē, *medvě̀ďē*
* 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
  • Non-Slavic:

Further reading

References
  1. Derksen, Rick (2008), “*medvě̀dь”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 306: “m. jo (a) ‘bear’”
  2. Olander, Thomas (2001), “medvědь”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “a (PR 132)”
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