Reconstruction:Proto-Balto-Slavic/źnōˀtei

This Proto-Balto-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-Balto-Slavic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-. Latvian and Lithuanian unambigously reflect Balto-Slavic *ā, which cannot be reconciled easily with the Indo-European *h₃.

Verb

*źnōˀtei

1. to know

Reconstruction notes

The Baltic and Slavic forms do not exactly agree, as the Slavic form is missing the short i that is present in the Baltic forms.

Derksen explains, citing Kortlandt:

• Baltic from the (zero grade) nasal-infixed present Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti.
• Slavic from the aorist stem Proto-Indo-European *ǵnéh₃t.

Dialectal Latvian zinim, zinit (for standard zinām, zināt), Old Prussian posinnimai (“we confess”, 1pl) according to Kortlandt show the PIE ablaut alternation between the singular -neh₂- and the plural -nh₂- in the nasal present (see the paradigm at *ǵn̥néh₃ti).

Karulis proposes a simplistic (and likely outdated) theory that dialectal Latvian zīt (“to know”), Lithuanian žinti (prefixed forms still in common use: pazīt (“to recognize”), pažinti (“id”)) should be treated as primary and the "thematic" zināt/žinoti as their iterative derivations, either way both from PIE zero grade.

Descendants

• Latgalian: zynuot
• Latvian: zinât
• Lithuanian: žinóti
• Proto-Slavic: *znàti (see there for further descendants)

References