Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/bogъ

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

Derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂g- (“to divide”).

Cognates include Sanskrit भग (bhaga, “happiness, welfare, prosperity”), Avestan 𐬠𐬀𐬔𐬀 (baga, “share”), Tocharian A pāk (“part, portion, share”). The following meanings have been displaced by Etymology 2 and are attested mainly in compounds and derived terms. Doublet of *banъ.

Noun

*bȍgъ m

1. share, cut, wealth, luck

   *čь̀rnъ bȍgъ ― bad luck

   *bě̃lъ bȍgъ ― good luck

Declension

Declension of *bȍgъ (hard o-stem, accent paradigm c)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*bȍgъ	*bȍga	*bȍdzi
genitive	*bȍga	*bogù	*bògъ
dative	*bȍgu	*bogomà	*bogòmъ
accusative	*bȍgъ	*bȍga	*bȍgy
instrumental	*bȍgъmь, *bȍgomь*	*bogomà	*bogý
locative	*bȍdzě	*bogù	*bodzě̃xъ
vocative	*bože	*bȍga	*bȍdzi

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

Derived terms

nouns

• *bělъ bogъ m
• *bogačь m
• *čьrnъ bogъ m
• *sъbožьje n

adjectives

• *bogatъ
• *nebogъ
• *ubogъ

proper nouns

• *Daďьbogъ

Related terms

• *bogatěti
• *bogatiti (sę)
• *bogatьstvo

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • ⇒ Old Ruthenian: за прости богъ (za prosti boh, “free of charge, for free”)
  • ⇒ Ukrainian: за мали́м бо́гом (za malým bóhom, “almost”) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • ⇒ Bulgarian: да бога (da boga, “abundantly, in abundance, very”)
  • ⇒ Macedonian: да бога (da boga, “abundantly, in abundance, very”) (dialectal)
  • ⇒ Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: до (зла) бога (“abundantly, in abundance, very”)

    Latin script: do (zla) boga (“abundantly, in abundance, very”)

  • ⇒ Slovene: zlego boga uživa (“he's doing badly”) (dialectal)
• West Slavic:
  • ⇒ Czech: do boha (“abundantly, in abundance, very”)
    • ⇒ Moravian: na ty bohy (“fortunately”)
  • ⇒ Old Polish: do boga (“abundantly, in abundance, very”)
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: bog (“Christmas gift”)

• Non-Slavic:
  • → Lithuanian: bagà (“property, treasure”)

Etymology 2

*bogъ *Perunъ

Identical with Etymology 1. According to consensus, a semantic loan from Scythian languages. Displaced earlier *divъ.

Semantic cognates include Old Persian 𐏎 (BG /⁠baga⁠/, “god”), Avestan 𐬠𐬀𐬖𐬀 (baγa, “god”).

Noun

*bȍgъ m (diminutive *božę or *božьcь or *božьkъ)

1. (religion) god

   *dàďь bože! ― god willing!

   *bȍgъ dàďь! ― god willing!

   *ne dàďь bože! ― god forbid!

   *o bože! ― oh god!

Declension

Declension of *bȍgъ (hard o-stem, accent paradigm c)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*bȍgъ	*bȍga	*bȍdzi
genitive	*bȍga	*bogù	*bògъ
dative	*bȍgu	*bogomà	*bogòmъ
accusative	*bȍgъ	*bȍga	*bȍgy
instrumental	*bȍgъmь, *bȍgomь*	*bogomà	*bogý
locative	*bȍdzě	*bogù	*bodzě̃xъ
vocative	*bože	*bȍga	*bȍdzi

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

Derived terms

nouns

• *bogyni f
• *božiťь m
• *božurъ m

verbs

• *bogovati
• *božiti

adjectives

• *bogovъ
• *božьjь
• *božьnъ
• *božьskъ

proper nouns

• *Bogodanъ
• *Bogomilъ
• *Bogoslavъ
• *Bogumilъ
• *Boguslavъ
• *Boguxvalъ
• *Bogъdanъ

Related terms

• *božьnica
• *božьba

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: богъ (bogŭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: богъ (boh), бѡгъ (bôh), бугъ (buh) — Middle Ukrainian
      • Belarusian: бог (boh)
      • Carpathian Rusyn: бог (boh), буг (buh)
      • Ukrainian: бог (boh), біг (bih), бі (bi)
    • Russian: бог (bog)
  • Old Novgorodian: бого (bogo)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: богъ (bogŭ)

    Glagolitic script: ⰱⱁⰳⱏ (bogŭ)

  • Bulgarian: бог (bog)
  • Macedonian: бог (bog)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: бо̑г

    Latin script: bȏg

    • Slavomolisano: bog
  • Slovene: bọ̑g (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: bóh
    • Czech: bůh
  • Old Polish: bóg
    • Polish: bóg
    • Silesian: bōg
  • Polabian: büg
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: bóg
    • Slovincian: bóg
  • Slovak: boh
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: bog
    • Upper Sorbian: bóh

Etymology 3

From Etymology 1. For contrast, cf. *bolgъ (“good, nice; bad”), Latin sacer (“sacred, holy; cursed”).

Adjective

*bogъ

1. poor

   Synonyms: *ubògъ, *bědьnъ

   Antonym: *bogàtъ

Declension

Indefinite declension of *bogъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*bogъ	*boga	*bogo
genitive	*boga	*bogy	*boga
dative	*bogu	*bodzě	*bogu
accusative	*bogъ	*bogǫ	*bogo
instrumental	*bogomь	*bogojǫ	*bogomь
locative	*bodzě	*bodzě	*bodzě
vocative	*bože	*bogo	*bogo
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*boga	*bodzě	*bodzě
genitive	*bogu	*bogu	*bogu
dative	*bogoma	*bogama	*bogoma
accusative	*boga	*bodzě	*bodzě
instrumental	*bogoma	*bogama	*bogoma
locative	*bogu	*bogu	*bogu
vocative	*boga	*bodzě	*bodzě
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*bodzi	*bogy	*boga
genitive	*bogъ	*bogъ	*bogъ
dative	*bogomъ	*bogamъ	*bogomъ
accusative	*bogy	*bogy	*boga
instrumental	*bogy	*bogami	*bogy
locative	*bodzěxъ	*bogaxъ	*bodzěxъ
vocative	*bodzi	*bogy	*boga

Definite declension of *bogъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*bogъjь	*bogaja	*bogoje
genitive	*bogajego	*bogyję̇	*bogajego
dative	*bogujemu	*bodzěji	*bogujemu
accusative	*bogъjь	*bogǫjǫ	*bogoje
instrumental	*bogyjimь	*bogǫjǫ	*bogyjimь
locative	*bodzějemь	*bodzěji	*bodzějemь
vocative	*bogъjь	*bogaja	*bogoje
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*bogaja	*bodzěji	*bodzěji
genitive	*boguju	*boguju	*boguju
dative	*bogyjima	*bogyjima	*bogyjima
accusative	*bogaja	*bodzěji	*bodzěji
instrumental	*bogyjima	*bogyjima	*bogyjima
locative	*boguju	*boguju	*boguju
vocative	*bogaja	*bodzěji	*bodzěji
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*bodziji	*bogyję̇	*bogaja
genitive	*bogъjixъ	*bogъjixъ	*bogъjixъ
dative	*bogyjimъ	*bogyjimъ	*bogyjimъ
accusative	*bogyję̇	*bogyję̇	*bogaja
instrumental	*bogyjimi	*bogyjimi	*bogyjimi
locative	*bogyjixъ	*bogyjixъ	*bogyjixъ
vocative	*bodziji	*bogyję̇	*bogaja

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: бо́гий (bógij) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • ⇒ Bulgarian: бо́жек (bóžek, “beggar”), бо́жак (bóžak, “who begs for God so that he eats”); бо́жьак (bóžʹak, “beggar”) (dialectal)
  • ⇒ Macedonian: божјак (božjak, “beggar”)
  • ⇒ Serbo-Croatian:

    Latin script: bȍžjāk (“beggar; wretch”), bȍgālj (“beggar”); bogalȉja (“beggar”) (dialectal)

    Cyrillic script: бо̏жја̄к (“beggar; wretch”), бо̏га̄љ (“beggar”); богали̏ја (dialectal)

  • Slovene: bö́γi (dialectal)
• West Slavic:
  • ⇒ Czech:
    • Moravian: božátko (“poor thing”)

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1975), “*bogъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 2 (*bez – *bratrъ), Moscow: Nauka, page 161
• Skok, Petar (1971) “Proto-Slavic/bogъ”, in Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika [Etymological Dictionary of the Croatian or Serbian Language] (in Serbo-Croatian), volumes 1 (A – J), Zagreb: JAZU, page 178
• Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 161
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1543
• Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 65
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “бог”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Brückner, Aleksander (1927) “bóg”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish), Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna, page 33