Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/galiti

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.

Possibly cognate with Proto-Germanic *gōlijaną (“to greet, to soothe”), from an unusual (Narten-type?) ō-grade causative Proto-Indo-European *gʰōl-éye-ti (“to calm, to soothe”). Akin to Proto-Germanic *galaną (“to charm, to gale”), Proto-Germanic *gellaną (“to yell”).

May not reflect a single semantic core. According to ESSJa, some of the meanings may have been influenced by Proto-Slavic *guľati (“to celebrate, to feast”). Other authors draw connection with Proto-Slavic *žalь (“sorrow”), Proto-Slavic *želěti (“to desire”).

A third semantic nuance may come from Proto-Slavic *golъ (“bare, naked”). Compare Sanskrit गालयति (gālayati, “to cause to go off, to liquify”).

Semantically close to Ancient Greek γαλήνος (galḗnos, “calm, serene”), where the late Christian names Old Church Slavonic Галинъ (Galinŭ), Галина (Galina) originate from. Genetic relation, however, is unlikely. The later is probably cognate with Proto-Slavic *želězo (“iron”), Latin galēna (“lead sulphide”).

*galiti impf

1. to fondle, to caress (South, East Slavic)

   Synonyms: *laskati, *milovati

2. to celebrate, to rejoice (East Slavic)

   Synonym: *guľati

3. to shield, to shelter (West Slavic)
4. to strip? (rare)

• *galьba (“care”)
• *galьnъ (“tender, delicate”)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: галити (galiti)
    • Russian: гали́ть (galítʹ, “to act up, to be capricious (for child, animal)”), гали́ться (galítʹsja, “to laugh”)
    • Ukrainian: гали́ти (halýty)
  • ⇒ Belarusian: га́лицьца (hálicʹca, “to greed for, to desire strongly”)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: галити (galiti)
  • Bulgarian: га́ля (gálja)
  • Macedonian: гали (gali)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: га́лити (“to refresh”)

    Latin script: gáliti (“to refresh”)

  • Slovene: gáliti (“to reveal, to expose”) (possibly, alternatively an expressive form of Proto-Slavic *goliti (“to strip, to uncover, to get naked”))
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: haliti
  • Old Polish: galić
  • Slovak: haliť

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “галить”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*galiti (sę)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 92
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “галя”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 228