Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/zelьje

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

Collective noun from an earlier i-stem adjective *zelь +‎ *-ьje, continuing Proto-Balto-Slavic *źelˀias (“green”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“to sprout, to shine”). Baltic languages reflect almost the same lemma, however, with o-grade: Lithuanian žãlias (“green”), Latvian zaļš (“green”). Further cognate with Sanskrit हरि (hari, “golden, pale, yellow”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ʰárHiš.

Noun

*zèlьje n

1. vegetation, herbs (usually fresh)
2. (by specialization) cabbage

   Synonym: *kapusta

Inflection

Declension of *zelьje (soft o-stem, uncountable)

	singular
nominative	*zelьje
genitive	*zelьja
dative	*zelьju
accusative	*zelьje
instrumental	*zelьjьmь, *zelьjemь*
locative	*zelьji
vocative	*zelьje

^* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

Derived terms

• *zelьka (diminutive)

Related terms

• *zelenъ (“green”)
• *zola (“ashes, murky water”) (possibly)
• *zolto (“gold”)
• *zьlčь (“bile”)
• *žьltъ (“yellow”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: зелье (zelĭe)
    • Old Ruthenian: зельє (zelʹje), зелїє (zelije), зеллє (zellje), зеллꙗ (zellja)
      • Belarusian: зе́лле (zjéllje)
      • Ukrainian: зі́лля (zíllja)
    • Russian: зе́лье (zélʹje, “potion”)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: зелиѥ (zelije)
  • Bulgarian: зе́ле (zéle, “cabbage”)
    • ⇒ Bulgarian: зелка (zelka)
  • Macedonian: зелје (zelje)
    • ⇒ Macedonian: зелка (zelka, “cabbage”)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: зе̑ље (“cabbage, spinach”)

    Latin script: zȇlje (“cabbage, spinach”)

  • Slovene: zẹ́ljе (“vegetation, grass”)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: zelí (“cabbage”)
  • Polabian: ziľă (“grass”)
  • Polish: ziele
  • Slovak: ziele
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: zele
    • Upper Sorbian: zеlо

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “зелье”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “зеле”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 631