Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/pьkъlъ

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

• *pьklъ

Etymology

Perhaps from Proto-Balto-Slavic *píkis, *píkulas, from Proto-Indo-European *pik- (“pitch”) or alternatively connected to *pey(H)- (“fat”). Cognate with Old Prussian pyculs (“hell”) (possibly a Polish borrowing) and akin to Latvian piķis (“pitch”), Lithuanian pìkis (“pitch”) (sometimes considered Germanic borrowings); Ancient Greek πίσσα (píssa, “pitch”), Latin pix (“pitch”). A borrowing from Latin picula (“pitch”) is not excluded.

Noun

*pьkъ̀lъ m

1. pitch, resin

   Synonym: *smola

2. (by extension) hell, inferno

Alternative forms

• *pьkъlo n
• *pьcьlъ (with effects of Slavic progressive palatalization)

Declension

Declension of *pьkъ̀lъ (hard o-stem, accent paradigm b)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*pьkъ̀lъ	*pьkъlà	*pьkъlì
genitive	*pьkъlà	*pьkъlù	*pьkъ̀lъ
dative	*pьkъlù	*pьkъlòma	*pьkъlòmъ
accusative	*pьkъ̀lъ	*pьkъlà	*pьkъlỳ
instrumental	*pьkъlъ̀mь, *pьkъlòmь*	*pьkъlòma	*pьkъ̀ly
locative	*pьkъlě̀	*pьkъlù	*pьkъ̀lěxъ
vocative	*pьkъle	*pьkъlà	*pьkъlì

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Derived terms

• *pьkъliti (“to conjure evil schemes”)
  • *pьkъlьnъ, *pьkъľenъ (“diabolic, infernal”)
• *pьkъlica (“unfertile soil”)
• *pьkъlьskъ (“hellish”)

Descendants

• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: пькълъ (pĭkŭlŭ), пьклъ (pĭklŭ), пьцьлъ (pĭcĭlŭ) (all meaning resin)

    Glagolitic script: ⱂⱐⰽⱏⰾⱏ (pĭkŭlŭ)

    • Church Slavonic (Russian recension): пькълъ m (pĭkŭlŭ)
  • Bulgarian: пъ́къл (pǎ́kǎl, “hell”); пъке́л (pǎkél, “resin”) (dialectal)
  • Macedonian: пе́кол (pékol)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: па̀као

    Latin script: pàkao

    • Chakavian (Hvar): pakȏl
    • Chakavian (Novi): pakál
    • Chakavian (Orbanići): pakãl
    • Chakavian (Vrgada): pakå̃
  • Slovene: pəkə̀ł (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: peklo
  • Kashubian: piekło
  • Old Polish: piekło, piekieł, pkieł
    • Polish: piekło

• Non-Slavic:
  • → Romanian: pâclă (“fog, mud”)
  • → Hungarian: pokol

Further reading

• Derksen, Rick (2015) “pikis”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 355
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “пе́кло”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (2002), “пъкъл”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 6 (пỳскам – словàр²), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 41