Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/gajь

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.

Of onomatopoeic nature, from the call *ga! +‎ *-jь. Related to Proto-Slavic *gajati (“to caw, to croak”), from Proto-Indo-European *g⁽ʷ⁾eH-. Akin to Lithuanian gáida (“melody”).

*gajь m

1. squeak (high-pitch call)

• *gaja f

• *gajьno (“gaggle, flock of birds”)
• *gajьvornь/*gavornъ (“raven, corbie”)
• *gakati (“to croak”)
• *gavati (“to bark, to cause commotion”)

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: гай m (gaj), га́я f (gája) (dialectal)
  • Ukrainian: гай (haj) (dialectal)
    • ⇒ Ukrainian: гай-гай (haj-haj) (interjection)
    • ⇒ Ukrainian: гаївка (hajivka, “mayfly”)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: haj (colloquial interjection)
  • Slovak: haj (dialectal interjection)

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “гай”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*gajь II”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 86
• гаївка in Горох.ua (Етимологія)

Per Vasmer and Trubachev, most likely from a long-grade ablaut of *gojiti (“to nurture, heal”) +‎ *-ъ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- (“to live”). Perhaps originally meaning thicket or protected, safe spot. Berneker alternatively proposes a derivation from Proto-Slavic *gati (“to pass, to go”), presumably from an earlier meaning place where one can pass through.

*gãjь m^[1][2]

1. grove

   Synonyms: *oršča, *gǫstakъ

• *gajiti (“to nourish, to bring up, to feed, to supply, to secure, to protect”)
  • Czech: hájit
• *zagajь, *gajьna (“thicket”)
• *gajьka (“nut, thread”) (possibly)

• *gojiti (“to feed, to become obese”)
• *gojьnъ (“fat, saturated”)
• *žiti (“to live”)
• *živъ (“alive”)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: гаи (gai)
    • Belarusian: гай (haj)
    • Russian: гай (gaj)
    • Ukrainian: гай (haj)
• South Slavic:
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: га̑ј

    Latin script: gȃj

  • Slovene: gāj (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: háj
    • Czech: háj
  • Kashubian: gôj
  • Polish: gaj
  • Slovak: háj

• Non-Slavic:
  • → Lithuanian: gõjus

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “гай”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*gajь I”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 85
• “gojus”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė, 2007–2012