Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/žiti

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 *gīˀwetei, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷíh₃weti.

Baltic cognates include Lithuanian gýti (“to heal; to recover”).

Indo-European cognates include Sanskrit जीवति (jī́vati), Latin vīvō (“to live”) (infinitive vīvere).

Verb

*žìti

1. to live

Inflection

Conjugation of *žiti, *ži(tъ), *živetь (?, -V/C-, t-aorist, accent paradigm c)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*žitьje	*žiti	*žitъ	*žilъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*žitъ	*živomъ
Active	*živъ	*živy

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*žixъ	*ži(tъ)	*ži(tъ)	*živǫ	*živeši	*živetь
Dual	*žixově	*žista	*žiste	*živevě	*živeta	*živete
Plural	*žixomъ	*žiste	*žišę	*živemъ	*živete	*živǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*živěaxъ	*živěaše	*živěaše	—	*živi	*živi
Dual	*živěaxově	*živěašeta	*živěašete	*živěvě	*živěta	—
Plural	*živěaxomъ	*živěašete	*živěaxǫ	*živěmъ	*živěte	—

Conjugation of *žiti, žive, *živetь (?, -V/C-, _/ox-aorist, accent paradigm c)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*žitьje	*žiti	*žitъ	*žilъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*žitъ	*živomъ
Active	*živъ	*živy

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	živ(ox)ъ	žive	žive	*živǫ	*živeši	*živetь
Dual	živ(ox)ově	živ(e/os)ta	živ(e/os)te	*živevě	*živeta	*živete
Plural	živ(ox)omъ	živ(e/os)te	živǫ, živošę	*živemъ	*živete	*živǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*živěaxъ	*živěaše	*živěaše	—	*živi	*živi
Dual	*živěaxově	*živěašeta	*živěašete	*živěvě	*živěta	—
Plural	*živěaxomъ	*živěašete	*živěaxǫ	*živěmъ	*živěte	—

Related terms

• *gojiti (“to treat, to heal”)
• *gojь
• *živěti
• *žito (“grain, corn”)
• *živica
• *životъ (“life”)
• *živъ (“alive”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: жити (žiti)
    • Old Ruthenian: жи́ти (žíti), жы́ти (žýti)
      • Belarusian: жыць (žycʹ)
      • Carpathian Rusyn: жы́ти (žŷ́ty)
      • Ukrainian: жи́ти (žýty)
    • Russian: жить (žitʹ)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: жити (žiti)

    Glagolitic: ⰶⰻⱅⰻ (žiti)

  • Slovene: žíti (tonal orthography) (archaic)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: žíti
    • Czech: žít
  • Old Polish: żyć, żywać
    • Masurian: zÿcz
    • Polish: żyć
    • Silesian: żyć
  • Slovak: žiť
  • Polabian: zait
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: żëc
    • Slovincian: żëc
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: žić
    • Lower Sorbian: žyś

Further reading

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