Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/xlěbъ

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

Borrowed from a Germanic language,^[1] probably Gothic 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍃 (hlaifs) (Proto-Germanic *hlaibaz) which has the root final 𐍆 (f) (phonetically probably [ɸ]) in the nominative, vocative, and accusative singular and 𐌱 (b) (phonetically probably [β]) in the oblique case forms. The fricative was replaced by the labial stop *b since Proto-Slavic did not have labial fricatives. Alternatively it may be from Old High German hleib.

Noun

*xlě̀bъ m^[1]

bread

Declension

Declension of *xlě̀bъ (hard o-stem, accent paradigm a)
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*xlě̀bъ	*xlě̀ba	*xlě̀bi
genitive	*xlě̀ba	*xlě̀bu	*xlě̀bъ
dative	*xlě̀bu	*xlě̀boma	*xlě̀bomъ
accusative	*xlě̀bъ	*xlě̀ba	*xlě̀by
instrumental	xlě̀bъmь, xlě̀bomь^*	*xlě̀boma	*xlě̀bȳ
locative	*xlě̀bě	*xlě̀bu	*xlě̀bě̄xъ
vocative	*xlě̀be	*xlě̀ba	*xlě̀bi

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

Usage notes

Scholars do not agree whether *xlě̀bъ originally referred to leavened or unleavened bread.^{[who exactly?]}

Derived terms

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: хлѣбъ (xlěbŭ)
  - Old Ruthenian: хлѣбъ (xlěb), клѣбъ (klěb)
    - Belarusian: хлеб (xljeb)
    - Carpathian Rusyn: хлїб (xljib)
    - Ukrainian: хліб (xlib)
  - Russian: хлеб (xleb) (see there for further descendants)
- Old Novgorodian: хлѣбе (xlěbe)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic:
  Glagolitic script: ⱈⰾⱑⰱⱏ (xlěbŭ)
  
  Old Cyrillic script: хлѣбъ (xlěbŭ)
  - Bulgarian: хляб (hljab); хл'ап (hl'ap), леп (lep) (dialectal)
  - Macedonian: леб (leb)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic script: хле̏б, хље̏б; хли̏б, хи̑б, ли̏п, ле̏п, хје̏б, хје̏п (dialectal)
  
  Latin script: hlȅb, hljȅb; hlȉb, hȋb, lȉp, lȅp, hjȅb, hjȅp (dialectal)
- Slovene: hlẹ̑b, hlȅb (“loaf”) (tonal orthography)
West Slavic:
- Czech: chléb, chleba
- Old Polish: chleb
  - Polish: chleb, chlib, kleb (Middle Polish)
    - → English: chleb
  - Silesian: chlyb
- Old Slovak: chléb, chliab, chlib, chlieb
  - Pannonian Rusyn: хлєб (xljeb)
  - Slovak: chlieb
- Polabian:
- Pomeranian:
  - Kashubian: chléb
  - Slovincian: chléb
- Sorbian:
  - Lower Sorbian: klěb; chlěb (archaic)
  - Upper Sorbian: chlěb, khlěb

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1981), “*xlěbъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 8 (*xa – *jьvьlga), Moscow: Nauka, page 27