Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/skama

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

Balkan Slavic isogloss of uncertain origin.

Supposed to be a loanword from Ancient Greek σκάμμα (skámma, “trench, pit with sand”), based on the presumption that it is related to the late borrowings скамак (skamak), скамай (skamaj, “sliver, roll of cotton”) from Greek σκαμάγγι (skamángi, “roll of cotton”). Additionally compared to Romanian scamă (“fuzz, lint, fluff”).

An alternative line of derivation relates it to Vulgar Latin scuma (“foam”), itself of Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“froth, foam”).

Noun

*skama f

1. foam or soapy, murky water (left after washing)
2. sediment

   Synonyms: *osadъ, *utajьka, *droba

Declension

Declension of *skama (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*skama	*skamě	*skamy
genitive	*skamy	*skamu	*skamъ
dative	*skamě	*skamama	*skamamъ
accusative	*skamǫ	*skamě	*skamy
instrumental	*skamojǫ, *skamǫ**	*skamama	*skamami
locative	*skamě	*skamu	*skamasъ, *skamaxъ*
vocative	*skamo	*skamě	*skamy

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** 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).

Related terms

• *skamiti (“to puddle, to grime”)
• *skamavъ (“murky, filthy”)

Descendants

• South Slavic:
  • Middle Church Slavonic: скама (skama)
  • Bulgarian: ска́ма (skáma)
  • Macedonian: скама (skama)

Further reading

• Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (2002), “скама”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 6 (пỳскам – словàр²), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 722