Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/lęťi

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

• *lękti (earlier, unassimilated form, as in Derksen, Chernykh, Vasmer)
• *lękťi (earlier, partly assimilated form, as in Trubachev)

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *lénktei.

Verb

*lęťi impf (perfective *lęknǫti)

1. to bend, to crook
2. to twine, to loop

   → (by extension) to set traps (in West Slavic)

Conjugation

Conjugation of *lęťi, *lęče, *lęčetь (impf., -C-, _/ox-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*lęčenьje	*lęťi	*lęťь	*lęklъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*lęčenъ	*lękomъ
Active	*lękъ	*lęky

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*lęk(ox)ъ	*lęče	*lęče	*lękǫ	*lęčeši	*lęčetь
Dual	*lęk(ox)ově	*lęk(e/os)ta	*lęk(e/os)te	*lęčevě	*lęčeta	*lęčete
Plural	*lęk(ox)omъ	*lęk(e/os)te	*lękǫ, *lękošę	*lęčemъ	*lęčete	*lękǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*lęčaaxъ	*lęčaaše	*lęčaaše	—	*lęci	*lęci
Dual	*lęčaaxově	*lęčaašeta	*lęčaašete	*lęcěvě	*lęcěta	—
Plural	*lęčaaxomъ	*lęčaašete	*lęčaaxǫ	*lęcěmъ	*lęcěte	—

Notes:
• Aorist *lękeste ⇒ *lęčeste, ...

Conjugation of *lęťi, *lęče, *lęčetь (impf., -C-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*lęčenьje	*lęťi	*lęťь	*lęklъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*lęčenъ	*lękomъ
Active	*lękъ	*lęky

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*lęxъ	*lęče	*lęče	*lękǫ	*lęčeši	*lęčetь
Dual	*lęxově	*lęsta	*lęste	*lęčevě	*lęčeta	*lęčete
Plural	*lęxomъ	*lęste	*lęšę	*lęčemъ	*lęčete	*lękǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*lęčaaxъ	*lęčaaše	*lęčaaše	—	*lęci	*lęci
Dual	*lęčaaxově	*lęčaašeta	*lęčaašete	*lęcěvě	*lęcěta	—
Plural	*lęčaaxomъ	*lęčaašete	*lęčaaxǫ	*lęcěmъ	*lęcěte	—

Derived terms

• *nalęťi impf, *nalęknǫti pf (“to pull, to wrench”)
• *sъlęťi impf, *sъlęknǫti pf (“to crook”)
• *lękota (resultant noun)
• *lęčь (“snare, lace”)
• *lękъ (“bent”)

Related terms

• *lękati, *lęcati (“to set traps, to scare?”)
• *lǭčìti (“to separate”)
• *lǫčьje (“rush”)
• *lǭkà (“low-lying meadow”)
• *lǫkàvъ (“curved, cunning”)
• *lǫ̑kъ (“bow”)

Descendants

• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: лѧщи (lęšti) (rare, usually prefixed)
    • → Old East Slavic: лѧщи (lęšči)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: léci (archaic); líct (dialectal)
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: lac (archaic)
    • Lower Sorbian: lěc

References

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1988), “*lękti”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 15 (*lětina – *lokačь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 62
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “ляка”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (2002), “слек¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 6 (пỳскам – словàр²), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 865
• Snoj, Marko (2016) “lekniti”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar [Slovenian Etymology Dictionary] (in Slovene), 3rd edition, https://fran.si