Reconstruction:Proto-Balto-Slavic/źnōˀtei

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This Proto-Balto-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-Balto-Slavic

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Etymology

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From Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-. Latvian and Lithuanian unambigously reflect Balto-Slavic , which cannot be reconciled easily with the Indo-European *h₃.

Verb

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*źnōˀtei[1][2]

  1. to know

Reconstruction notes

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The Baltic and Slavic forms do not exactly agree, as the Slavic form is missing the short i that is present in the Baltic forms.

Derksen explains, citing Kortlandt:

Dialectal Latvian zinim, zinit (for standard zinām, zināt), Old Prussian posinnimai (we confess, 1pl) according to Kortlandt show the PIE ablaut alternation between the singular -neh₂- [sic -neh₃-?] and the plural -nh₂- in the nasal present (see the paradigm at *ǵn̥néh₃ti).

Karulis proposes a simplistic (and likely outdated) theory that dialectal Latvian zīt (to know), Lithuanian žinti (prefixed forms still in common use: pazīt (to recognize), pažinti (id)) should be treated as primary and the "thematic" zināt/žinoti as their iterative derivations, either way both from PIE zero grade.

Descendants

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  • Latgalian: zynuot
  • Latvian: zinât
  • Lithuanian: žinóti
  • Proto-Slavic: *znàti (see there for further descendants)

References

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  1. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008) “*znàti”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 546:*źn-/*źin-
  2. ^ Derksen, Rick (2015) “žinoti”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 519:*źinaʔ-; *źinʔ-