Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/loviti

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.

From *lȏvъ (“hunting, hunt”) +‎ *-iti, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *law-. Cognate with Lithuanian lavùs (“adroit, clever”), lãvyti, lãvinti (“to train, to develop”), Latvian lavît (“to catch”), although per Derksen the latter verb is probably a Slavic borrowing. Usually derived from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂w- (“to capture, enjoy”) (e.g., see Vasmer). Per Derksen, no clear cognates outside of Balto-Slavic.

*lovìti impf^[1][2]

1. (transitive, intransitive) to hunt
2. (transitive, intransitive) to chase, pursue
3. (transitive) to catch

• *lȏvъ (“hunting, hunt”)
• *lȍvъkъ (“adroit”)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: ловити (loviti) (accent paradigm c)
    • Belarusian: лаві́ць (lavícʹ)
    • Russian: лови́ть (lovítʹ)
    • Ukrainian: лови́ти (lovýty)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: ловити (loviti)

    Glagolitic:

  • Bulgarian: ловя́ (lovjá)
  • Macedonian: лови (lovi)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ло̀вити

    Latin script: lòviti

  • Slovene: lovīti (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: loviti
    • Czech: lovit
  • Old Polish: łowić
    • Polish: łowić
  • Kashubian: łowic
  • Slovak: loviť
  • Slovincian: lôvjic
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: łojić
    • Lower Sorbian: łoiś

• Non-Slavic:
  • Megleno-Romanian: luves
  • Romanian: lovi

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “лови́ть”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1990), “*loviti (sę)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 16 (*lokadlo – *lъživьcь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 106