Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/byčati

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.

Onomatopoeic, parallel to *buka (“bang”), *bučati (“to roar”) with -u- vocalism and *bykati (Czech býkat, Bulgarian би́кам (bíkam)), *bykovati (Russian быкова́ть (bykovátʹ), Polish bykować) with -y- vocalism. Further akin to Lithuanian bucêt (“to sound, to buzz”), Latvian bùkti (“to neigh”).

Some of the meanings reflect denominative *bykъ (“bull”) +‎ *-ěti = “to act as a bull” > “to ram, to jostle”.

*byčati impf

1. (onomatopoeia) to roar, to neigh

   Synonym: *bučati

2. (expressive) to ram, to jostle

• *bykъ (“bull”)

• East Slavic:
  • ⇒ Ukrainian: биць-биць (bycʹ-bycʹ), бинь-бинь (bynʹ-bynʹ, “cattle's call”)
    • ⇒ Ukrainian: бинча́ти (bynčáty), би́нькати (býnʹkaty, “to neigh, moan”) (of animal)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: би́ча (bíča), би́чкам (bíčkam, “to knock over, to trip”) (partially)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: byčet^[1][2]
  • Polish: byczeć^[3] (dialectal)

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1976), “*byčati”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 3 (*bratrьcь – *cьrky), Moscow: Nauka, page 146
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “бича², бичкам, бична”, in Български етимологичен речник (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 51
• Melnychuk, O. S., editor (1982), “бинькати”, in Етимологічний словник української мови (in Ukrainian), volume 1 (А – Г), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, page 184
• Anikin, A. E. (2011) “бы́каться”, in Русский этимологический словарь (in Russian), issue 5 (буба – вакштаф), Moscow: Znak, →ISBN, page 277
• “baukti”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė, 2007–2012