Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/koterъ

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

Alternative forms

• *kъterъ
• *kotorъ, *kъtorъ

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *kateras, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷóteros (“which of two”), from *kʷos (“what?, which?”) +‎ *-teros (contrastive). Cognate with Lithuanian katràs (“which (of the two)”), Proto-Germanic *hwaþeraz, Sanskrit कतर (katara), Ancient Greek πότερος (póteros).

Determiner

*koterъ

1. which (of a number)

   Synonym: *kъjь

2. (indefinite) some

   Synonyms: *někъ, *někotorъ

Usage notes

• Only attested as definitive (_1):

0:indef 1:def	*koterъ *koterъjь	*kotorъ *kotorъjь	*kъtorъ *kъtorъjь	*kъterъ *kъterъjь
Derksen	0_	0_	.	.
ESSJa	01	01	_1	_1
Chernykh	_1	_1	.	.
Vasmer	.	0_	.	.

• Forms with e/o are attested X times in: Old Church Slavonic (2/51)

Declension

Definite declension of *koterъ (hard)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*koterъjь	*koteraja	*koteroje
genitive	*koterajego	*koteryję̇	*koterajego
dative	*koterujemu	*koterěji	*koterujemu
accusative	*koterъjь	*koterǫjǫ	*koteroje
instrumental	*koteryjimь	*koterǫjǫ	*koteryjimь
locative	*koterějemь	*koterěji	*koterějemь
vocative	*koterъjь	*koteraja	*koteroje
dual	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*koteraja	*koterěji	*koterěji
genitive	*koteruju	*koteruju	*koteruju
dative	*koteryjima	*koteryjima	*koteryjima
accusative	*koteraja	*koterěji	*koterěji
instrumental	*koteryjima	*koteryjima	*koteryjima
locative	*koteruju	*koteruju	*koteruju
vocative	*koteraja	*koterěji	*koterěji
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*koteriji	*koteryję̇	*koteraja
genitive	*koterъjixъ	*koterъjixъ	*koterъjixъ
dative	*koteryjimъ	*koteryjimъ	*koteryjimъ
accusative	*koteryję̇	*koteryję̇	*koteraja
instrumental	*koteryjimi	*koteryjimi	*koteryjimi
locative	*koteryjixъ	*koteryjixъ	*koteryjixъ
vocative	*koteriji	*koteryję̇	*koteraja

Derived terms

• *někoterъjь (“some, any”)
• *nikoterъjь (“no, none”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: котерꙑи (koteryi)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Glagolitic script: ⰽⱁⱅⰵⱃⰰⰰⰳⱁ (koteraago)

    Old Cyrillic script: котеръи (koterŷi)

  • Serbo-Croatian: koteri, kteri (Kajkavian)
  • Slovene: kateri, koteri
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: který
    • Bohemian (Chod dialect): keryj
  • Old Polish: który, chtóry, ftóry, tkóry
    • Polish: który, chtóry, chtury (Kuyavia), tkóry (Kuyavia, Sieradz, Piotrków Voivodeship), chtory, ftory (Podegrodzie)
    • Silesian: ftory, ktōry
  • Slovak: ktorý
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: kótery

See also

• *eterъ
• *jьnъ
• *drugъ

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1984), “*koterъjь/kotorъjь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 11 (*konьcь – *kotьna(ja)), Moscow: Nauka, page 201
• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1999), “который”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 3rd edition, volume 1 (а – пантомима), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 436
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “который”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress