Per Brückner, Mladenov, Trubačev: originally a collective noun from *gaviti (“to vex, to blemish”) + *-ědь (doubted by Vasmer). Apparently, cognate with Lithuanian govėdà (“lots, multitude”), which is akin to góvija, góvėna (“mob, gang”) and likely gaujà (“pack”). Further origin uncertain. Proposals have been made for descent from Proto-Indo-European *gʷewH- (“to defecate”) or from the onomatopoeia Proto-Slavic *gavati (“to bark, to roar”).
Comparison has also been drawn to *govь, *govędo (“cattle”) and furthermore Lithuanian guõtas (“group, flock”). Per Lubotsky, perhaps all of them ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃- (“to consume, to sustain”). If right, then possibly also related to Proto-Germanic *kudją (“herd, livestock”).
*gavědь f
singular | dual | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
nominative | *gavědь | *gavědi | *gavědi |
genitive | *gavědi | *gavědьju, *gavěďu* | *gavědьjь, *gavědi* |
dative | *gavědi | *gavědьma | *gavědьmъ |
accusative | *gavědь | *gavědi | *gavědi |
instrumental | *gavědьjǫ, *gavěďǫ* | *gavědьma | *gavědьmi |
locative | *gavědi | *gavědьju, *gavěďu* | *gavědьxъ |
vocative | *gavědi | *gavědi | *gavědi |
* The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).
Some descendants have readjusted (probably diachronically) the gender of meaning “wild creature, beast” to masculine:
singular | dual | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
nominative | *gavědь | *gavědi | *gavědьje, *gavěďe* |
genitive | *gavědi | *gavědьju, *gavěďu* | *gavědьjь, *gavědi* |
dative | *gavědi | *gavědьma | *gavědьmъ |
accusative | *gavědь | *gavědi | *gavědi |
instrumental | *gavědьmь | *gavědьma | *gavědьmi |
locative | *gavědi | *gavědьju, *gavěďu* | *gavědьxъ |
vocative | *gavědi | *gavědi | *gavědьje, *gavěďe* |
* The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).