Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/bьltati

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

• *bъltati (ESSJa)

Etymology

• At least for some meanings: onomatopoeic.
• From Proto-Balto-Slavic *biltei, possibly from a t-extension of Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to blow”).

Compare further Proto-Slavic *bъltъ (“projectile”), *bоlboliti (“to babble”) (per Trubachyov, Vasmer).

Verb

*bьltati

1. to mix, to stir
2. to slosh, to muddle (of liquids)
3. to blather, to babble (onomatopoeic)

Conjugation

Conjugation of *bьltati, *bьlta, *bьltajetь (?, -a-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Suffix: *-ati

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*bьltanьje	*bьltati	*bьltatъ	*bьltalъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*bьltanъ	*bьltajemъ
Active	*bьltavъ	*bьltaję

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*bьltaxъ	*bьlta	*bьlta	*bьltajǫ	*bьltaješi	*bьltajetь
Dual	*bьltaxově	*bьltasta	*bьltaste	*bьltajevě	*bьltajeta	*bьltajete
Plural	*bьltaxomъ	*bьltaste	*bьltašę	*bьltajemъ	*bьltajete	*bьltajǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*bьltaaxъ	*bьltaaše	*bьltaaše	—	*bьltaji	*bьltaji
Dual	*bьltaaxově	*bьltaašeta	*bьltaašete	*bьltajivě	*bьltajita	—
Plural	*bьltaaxomъ	*bьltaašete	*bьltaaxǫ	*bьltajimъ	*bьltajite	—

Related terms

• *bel(e)nъ
• *bьlniti

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: блы́таць (blýtacʹ), бо́ўтаць (bóŭtacʹ), бовта́ць (bovtácʹ)
  • Russian: болта́ть (boltátʹ)
  • Ukrainian: бо́втати (bóvtaty)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: бълтáя (bǎltája), блъ́там (blǎ́tam) (dialectal)
• West Slavic:
  • Polish: bełtać
  • Slovak: beltac (dialectal)

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1976), “*bъltati / *bьltati (sę):”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 3 (*bratrьcь – *cьrky), Moscow: Nauka, page 119
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “болтать”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress