Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/klenъ

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.

Unknown. Probably related to Lithuanian klẽvas m (“maple”), Latvian kļava f (“maple”), Latgalian kļovs m (“maple”).

Trubačev tentatively presumes origin from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to jolt, to push”).

*klȅnъ m^[1]

1. maple

   Synonym: *avorъ

• *klьnъ, *klěnъ (Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian)

Likely reflects the original Slavic word for maples. Probably initially referring particularly to “field maple” (Acer campestre).^[2] Other varieties, such as Acer tataricum and Acer platanoides, are usually referred with epithetic terms like *mękyšь (“soft one”) (whence Bulgarian мекиш (mekiš)) or *žeščelъ ~ *žeščľa, *žestika (“hard one”) (whence Bulgarian жешля, жещел (žešlja, žeštel), Serbo-Croatian жешља, жестика), probably because they fell outside the range of the proto-Slavic homeland.

• *klenьje (“maple forrest”)
• *klenovъ (“maple's”)
• *maklenъ, *meklenъ, *neklenъ, *sǫklenъ (“type of maple”)

• *klonъ (“branch, twig”) (possibly)
• *klękъ (“bush; humped, deformed tree”) (possibly)
• *klęčь (“wand, stick”) (possibly)
• *kolъ (“stake”) (possibly)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: кленъ (klenŭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: кленъ (klen)
      • Belarusian: клён (kljon)
      • Ukrainian: клен (klen)
    • Russian: клён (kljon)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:
    • Old Cyrillic script: кленъ (klenŭ)
  • Bulgarian: клен (klen)
  • Macedonian: клен (klen)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: кле̏н; кље̏н, кли̏јен, ку̑н (dialectal)

    Latin script: klȅn; kljȅn, klȉjn, kȗn (dialectal)

  • Slovene: klèn; klán (dialectal)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: klen
  • Polabian: klen
  • Polish: klon
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: klón
    • Slovincian: klón
  • Old Slovak:
    • Pannonian Rusyn: клєн (kljen)
    • Slovak: klen
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: klon
    • Upper Sorbian: klon, klen

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1983), “*klenъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 9 (*jьz – *klenьje), Moscow: Nauka, page 194
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “клен”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1979), “клен¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 2 (и – крепя̀), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 432
• “klevas”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012