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

   Synonyms: *doľa, *čęstь

2. cut

   Synonym: *doľa

3. wealth

   Synonyms: *gobigъ, *gobino, *gobina

   Antonym: *běda

4. luck

   Synonym: *sъčęstьje

   Antonym: *nesъčęstьje

   *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
Accusative	*bȍgъ	*bȍga	*bȍgy
Genitive	*bȍga	*bogù	*bògъ
Locative	*bȍdzě	*bogù	*bodzě̃xъ
Dative	*bȍgu	*bogomà	*bogòmъ
Instrumental	*bȍgъmь, *bȍgomь*	*bogomà	*bogý
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:
  • ⇒ 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:

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

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

  • ⇒Slovene: zlego boga uživa (“he's doing badly”) (dialectal)
• West Slavic:
  • ⇒ Czech: do boha (“abundantly, in abundance, very”)
  • ⇒ Czech:
    • 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. Zoroastrianism, the new religion of the Iranians, demonized the original pagan deities (compare Sanskrit देव (deva, “god”) : Avestan 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬎𐬎𐬀‎ (daēuua, “demon”)). During the so-called Iranian inversion (Proto-Slavic-Iranian contacts), the same religious changes took place among the Proto-Slavs and the original word (*deiwos or similar) for “god” was replaced by *bogъ. The change of meaning on Iranian ground was as follows: “wealth” > “wealth provider” > “god”. See also *divъ.

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

Noun

*bȍgъ m

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
Accusative	*bȍgъ	*bȍga	*bȍgy
Genitive	*bȍga	*bogù	*bògъ
Locative	*bȍdzě	*bogù	*bodzě̃xъ
Dative	*bȍgu	*bogomà	*bogòmъ
Instrumental	*bȍgъmь, *bȍgomь*	*bogomà	*bogý
Vocative	*bože	*bȍga	*bȍdzi

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

Derived terms

nouns

• *bogyni f
• *božę n
• *božiťь m
• *božьcь n
• *božьkъ n
• *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), б҃ъ (b҃ŭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: богъ (boh)
      • Belarusian: бог (boh)
      • Rusyn: бог (boh)
      • Ukrainian: бог (boh), біг (bih)
    • Russian: бог (bog)
  • Old Novgorodian: бого (bogo)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic: богъ (bogŭ)

    Glagolitic: ⰱⱁⰳⱏ (bogŭ)

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

    Cyrillic: бо̑г

    Latin: bȏg

    • Slavomolisano: bog
  • Slovene: bọ̑g (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: bóh
    • Czech: bůh
  • Kashubian: bóg
  • Polabian: büg
  • Old Polish: bóg
    • Polish: bóg
  • Silesian: bůg
  • 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
Accusative	*bogъ	*bogǫ	*bogo
Genitive	*boga	*bogy	*boga
Locative	*bodzě	*bodzě	*bodzě
Dative	*bogu	*bodzě	*bogu
Instrumental	*bogomь	*bogojǫ	*bogomь
Vocative	*bože	*bogo	*bogo
Dual	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*boga	*bodzě	*bodzě
Accusative	*boga	*bodzě	*bodzě
Genitive	*bogu	*bogu	*bogu
Locative	*bogu	*bogu	*bogu
Dative	*bogoma	*bogama	*bogoma
Instrumental	*bogoma	*bogama	*bogoma
Vocative	*boga	*bodzě	*bodzě
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*bodzi	*bogy	*boga
Accusative	*bogy	*bogy	*boga
Genitive	*bogъ	*bogъ	*bogъ
Locative	*bodzěxъ	*bogaxъ	*bodzěxъ
Dative	*bogomъ	*bogamъ	*bogomъ
Instrumental	*bogy	*bogami	*bogy
Vocative	*bodzi	*bogy	*boga

Definite declension of *bogъ (hard)

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*bogъjь	*bogaja	*bogoje
Accusative	*bogъjь	*bogǫjǫ	*bogoje
Genitive	*bogajego	*bogyję	*bogajego
Locative	*bodzějemь	*bodzěji	*bodzějemь
Dative	*bogujemu	*bodzěji	*bogujemu
Instrumental	*bogyjimi	*bogǫjǫ	*bogyjimi
Vocative	*bogъjь	*bogaja	*bogoje
Dual	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*bogaja	*bodzěji	*bodzěji
Accusative	*bogaja	*bodzěji	*bodzěji
Genitive	*boguju	*boguju	*boguju
Locative	*boguju	*boguju	*boguju
Dative	*bogyjima	*bogyjima	*bogyjima
Instrumental	*bogyjima	*bogyjima	*bogyjima
Vocative	*bogaja	*bodzěji	*bodzěji
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*bodziji	*bogyję	*bogaja
Accusative	*bogyję	*bogyję	*bogaja
Genitive	*bogъjixъ	*bogъjixъ	*bogъjixъ
Locative	*bogyjixъ	*bogyjixъ	*bogyjixъ
Dative	*bogyjimъ	*bogyjimъ	*bogyjimъ
Instrumental	*bogyjimi	*bogyjimi	*bogyjimi
Vocative	*bodziji	*bogyję	*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: bȍžjāk (“beggar; wretch”), bȍgālj (“beggar”); bogalȉja (“beggar”) (dialectal)

    Cyrillic: 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), volume 2 (*bez – *bratrъ), Moscow: Nauka, page 161
• Skok, Petar (1971) Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika (in Serbo-Croatian), volume I, Zagreb: JAZU, page 178ff
• 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 Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), translated from German and supplemented by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress
• Brückner, Aleksander (1927), “Proto-Slavic/bogъ”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish), Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna, published 1985