Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/likъ

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. Masculine form from early neutral *liko, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *léika, from Proto-Indo-European *léykom. Baltic cognates include Old Prussian laygnan (“cheek”). Indo-European cognates include Old Irish lecca (“jaw, cheek”).

2. Homonym *likъ meaning dance is from Proto-Germanic *laikaz, *laikiz. Cognate with Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌺𐍃 (laiks).

Noun

*likъ m

1. face
2. round dance, chorus; play
3. assembly

Inflection

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

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*lȋkъ	*lȋka	*lȋci
genitive	*lȋka	*likù	*lĩkъ
dative	*lȋku	*likomà	*likòmъ
accusative	*lȋkъ	*lȋka	*lȋky
instrumental	*lȋkъmь, *lȋkomь*	*likomà	*liký
locative	*lȋcě	*likù	*licě̃xъ
vocative	*liče	*lȋka	*lȋci

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

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: ликъ (likŭ)
  • Russian: лик (lik) (ecclesiastical)
  • Ukrainian: лик (lyk)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: ликъ (likŭ)

    Glagolitic script: ⰾⰻⰽⱏ (likŭ)

  • Bulgarian: лик (lik)
  • Serbo-Croatian: lik
  • Slovene: lik
• West Slavic:
  • Polish: lik

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “лик”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. & suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress