Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/vodьnikъ

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 1

(deprecated template usage)

Formed as *vodьnъ (“watery”) +‎ *-ikъ or equivalently *voda (“water”) +‎ *-ьnikъ. Some daughter languages make distinction between male and female water spirits, in which case *vodьnikъ m refers specifically to the male spirit, while *vodьnica f refers to the female one.

Noun

*vodьnìkъ m

1. washbasin, sink
2. nix, water spirit, water elemental

   Synonym: *topilьcь

Alternative forms

• *vodьňakъ (in South Slavic)
• *voďanikъ (in East Slavic)
• *voďanojь

Declension

Declension of *vodьnikъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*vodьnikъ	*vodьnika	*vodьnici
genitive	*vodьnika	*vodьniku	*vodьnikъ
dative	*vodьniku	*vodьnikoma	*vodьnikomъ
accusative	*vodьnikъ	*vodьnika	*vodьniky
instrumental	*vodьnikъmь, *vodьnikomь*	*vodьnikoma	*vodьniky
locative	*vodьnicě	*vodьniku	*vodьnicěxъ
vocative	*vodьniče	*vodьnika	*vodьnici

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

Related terms

• *voda (“water”)
• *vodъka (“vodka”)
• *vodьnъ (“watery”)
• *vědro (“bucket”)

See also

• *vila (“nymph, fairy, vila”)
• *duxъ (“spirit”)
• *vixъrъ (“whirl, wind elemental”)
• *pьklo (“ember, fire elemental”)
• *boltьnikъ (“swamp spirit, bolotnik”)
• *lěšьjь, *lěšovojь, *lěsьnikъ, *lěsovikъ (“forest spirit, lesnik”)
• *poľevojь, *poľevikъ (“field spirit, gnome, polevik”)
• *mora, *morva, *mořena (“phantom, spirit of death and rebirth, morena”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: вадзяні́к (vadzjaník)
  • → Russian: водяно́й (vodjanój)
  • Ukrainian: водяни́к (vodjanýk)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: воднѝк (vodnìk), водня̀к (vodnjàk), воднѝца (vodnìca)
  • Macedonian: водник (vodnik)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: водењак, вођаној

    Latin script: vodanoj

  • Slovene: vodnják
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: vodník
  • Polish: wodnik, wodnica
  • Slovak: vodnik

Further reading

• Snoj, Marko (2016) “vodnják”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar [Slovenian Etymology Dictionary] (in Slovene), 3rd edition, https://fran.si

Etymology 2

(deprecated template usage)

From *voditi (“to lead”) +‎ *-ьnikъ.

Noun

*vodьnĩkъ m

1. leader, guide

   Synonym: *vodačь

2. transport worker

Declension

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

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*vodьnĩkъ	*vodьnīkà	*vodьnīcì
genitive	*vodьnīkà	*vodьnīkù	*vodьnĩkъ
dative	*vodьnīkù	*vodьnīkòma	*vodьnīkòmъ
accusative	*vodьnĩkъ	*vodьnīkà	*vodьnīkỳ
instrumental	*vodьnīkъ̀mь, *vodьnīkòmь*	*vodьnīkòma	*vodьnĩky
locative	*vodьnīcě̀	*vodьnīkù	*vodьnĩcěxъ
vocative	*vodьniče	*vodьnīkà	*vodьnīcì

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

Related terms

• *vodъ (“conduct, lead”)
• *voditi (“to lead”)
• *vaditi (“to pull, to draw”)

Derived terms

• *provodьnikъ (“conductor”)
• *jьzvodьnikъ (“output channel”)
• *sъvodьnikъ (“procurer, pimp”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: во́дник (vódnik)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: во̀дник (vòdnik)
  • Slovene: vodník

Further reading

• Snoj, Marko (2016) “vodník”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar [Slovenian Etymology Dictionary] (in Slovene), 3rd edition, https://fran.si