Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/kukati

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 origin, formed from the interjection ku-ku! (“sound of cuckooing”) + *-kati. Cognate with Lithuanian kukúoti, Latvian kukuôt and akin to Ancient Greek κόκκῡξ (kókkūx), Latin cucūlus, English cuckoo, Sanskrit कोकिल (kokila).

*kùkati impf (perfective *kuknǫti)^[1][2]

1. to cuckoo

• *kukuvica (“cuckoo, gowk”)
• *kukyrica (“partridge”)
• *kukъ (“vengeful spirit”), *kuka (“sprite, gnome”)
• *kučę (“dog”) (in South Slavic)

• East Slavic:
  • Russian: ку́кать (kúkatʹ) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: ку́кам (kúkam)
  • Macedonian: кука (kuka)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ку̏кати

    Latin script: kȕkati

  • Slovene: kūkati
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: kukati
  • Polish: kukać

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “ку́кать”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1987), “*kukati I”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 13 (*kroměžirъ – *kyžiti), Moscow: Nauka, page 89
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “кукам¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 86

Denominal from *kuka (“hook”) +‎ *-ati, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *kaukāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *kewk- (“to hook, to elevate”). Akin to Lithuanian kùkti (“to bend forward”), Latvian kukt (“to bow”), German hocken (from an earlier *hukkōną).

*kùkati impf

1. to squat

   Synonym: *klękati

2. to pound

• *kučati (in Slovene, West Slavic)

• *kuka (“hook”)
• *kuča (“heap”)
• *čuka (“hill, peak”)
• *čukati (“to hew”)

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: ку́чаць (kúčacʹ)
  • Russian: ку́кать (kúkatʹ, “to pound”) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: ку́кам (kúkam)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ку̏кати (“to hammer”) (obsolete)

    Latin script: kȕkati (“to hammer”) (obsolete)

    Latin script: čučati (“to squat, to crouch”)

  • Slovene: kúčati
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: kučat (dialectal)
  • Polish: kucać

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1977), “*čučati”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 4 (*čaběniti – *děľa), Moscow: Nauka, page 126
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1987), “*kukati II”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 13 (*kroměžirъ – *kyžiti), Moscow: Nauka, page 89
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “кукам²”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 86