Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/myliti

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

By surface analysis, *mylo (“fault”) +‎ *-iti (attested in Belarusian мыло́ (myló, “fallacity”)). Further origin - unclear.

Trubačev (ESSJa) hypothesizes descent from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“lie, malice”), related within Balto-Slavic with Lithuanian mẽlas (“lie”), muldýti (“to talk nonsense”), Latvian muldêt (“to babble, to twaddle”), possibly Proto-Slavic *molmoliti (“to murmur, to gurgle”). Doubted by Vasmer.

Verb

*myliti impf (North Slavic)

1. to confuse, to mix up, to mislead
2. (reflexive) (+ *sę) to err, to blunder

Inflection

Conjugation of *myliti, *myli, *mylitь (?, -i-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Suffix: *-iti
― iterative (*nositi⇐*nesti)
― causative (*pojiti⇐*piti)
― ...

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*myľenьje	*myliti	*mylitъ	*mylilъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*myľenъ	*mylimъ
Active	*myľь	*mylę

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*mylixъ	*myli	*myli	*myľǫ	*myliši	*mylitь
Dual	*mylixově	*mylista	*myliste	*mylivě	*mylita	*mylite
Plural	*mylixomъ	*myliste	*mylišę	*mylimъ	*mylite	*mylętь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*myľaaxъ	*myľaaše	*myľaaše	—	*myli	*myli
Dual	*myľaaxově	*myľaašeta	*myľaašete	*mylivě	*mylita	—
Plural	*myľaaxomъ	*myľaašete	*myľaaxǫ	*mylimъ	*mylite	—

Notes:
• (*)*mylivъ is a later doublet of the past active participle

Derived terms

• *myľati (sę)
• *mylъka (“mistake, mix-up”)
• *mylьnъ (“fallacious, confusing”)
• *pomyliti (“to confuse, deceive”)
  • *pomylъka (“mistake”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old Ruthenian: мыли́ти (mylíti)
    • Belarusian: мыля́ць (myljácʹ); мыли́цьца (mylícʹca)
    • Ukrainian: мили́ти (mylýty)
  • Russian: мы́лить (mýlitʹ)
• West Slavic
  • Old Czech: mýliti
    • Czech: mýlit
  • Polish: mylić
  • Slovak: mýliť
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: mylić
    • Upper Sorbian: moliś

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “мы́лить”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1994), “*myliti (sę)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 21 (*mъrskovatъjь – *nadějьnъjь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 39
• “pasimùldyti”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012