Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/za

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

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *źō, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰō (“behind, under, out of, because of”), itself perhaps a pronominal instrumental form from the *gʰe, *gʰo. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?) Cognate with East Lithuanian аžù (аž before vowels) from *аžúо (“behind”), dial. Latvian az, âz alongside with àiz- (“behind, beyond”).

Preposition

*za

1. (+instrumental) behind, after (stationary)

   Synonym: *zadi

   Antonyms: *perdъ, *perdi

2. (+accusative) behind, after (motion to)

   Antonym: *perdъ

3. (+accusative) in (time), during

   Synonym: *ob

4. (+accusative) for, in exchange for, for the purpose of, in favour of

   Synonym: *vъz

5. (+genitive) for, because of

Derived terms

• *zadъ (“back part”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old Ruthenian: за (za)
    • Belarusian: за (za)
    • Carpathian Rusyn: за (za)
    • Ukrainian: за (za)
  • Russian: за (za)
  • Old Novgorodian: ꙁа (za)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: за (za)

    Glagolitic script: ⰸⰰ (za)

  • Bulgarian: за (za)
  • Macedonian: за (za), зад (zad)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: за

    Latin script: za

  • Slovene: za (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: za
    • Czech: za
  • Old Polish: za
    • Polish: za
    • Silesian: za
  • Slovak: za
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: za, zó
    • Slovincian: za
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: za
    • Lower Sorbian: za

Further reading

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