Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/bъrtь

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

Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *búrˀtis, *búrˀtas, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“to bore, to drill”) + *-tь. Cognate with Latvian burts (“letter, mark”), Lithuanian bùrtas (“lot”), bùrtis (“sign”). Further related to Latin forāmen (“opening”).

Noun

*bъrtь f

1. carving, delving (in a tree)
2. hive of wild bees

Declension

Declension of *bъrtь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*bъrtь	*bъrti	*bъrti
genitive	*bъrti	*bъrtьju, *bъrťu*	*bъrtьjь, *bъrti*
dative	*bъrti	*bъrtьma	*bъrtьmъ
accusative	*bъrtь	*bъrti	*bъrti
instrumental	*bъrtьjǫ, *bъrťǫ*	*bъrtьma	*bъrtьmi
locative	*bъrti	*bъrtьju, *bъrťu*	*bъrtьxъ
vocative	*bъrti	*bъrti	*bъrti

^* 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).

Alternative forms

• *bъrtъ (o-stem)

Derived terms

• *bъrtiti (“to delve, to carve (in tree)”)
• *bъrtva (“tree hollow”)

Related terms

• *bъrъ, *bъrica (“wild millet”)
• *bъrna, *bъrla (“lip, ring”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: бърть (bŭrtĭ), борть (bortĭ)
    • Belarusian: борть (bortʹ)
    • Russian: борть (bortʹ)
    • Ukrainian: борть (bortʹ)
• South Slavic:
  • Slovene: brt (possibly via Czech)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: brt f
    • Czech: brť
  • Kashubian: barc
  • Polabian: bort
  • Old Polish: barć
    • Polish: barć
  • Slovak: brt

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “борть”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1976), “*bъrtь/*bъrtъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 3 (*bratrьcь – *cьrky), Moscow: Nauka, page 132