Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/mělь

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 Proto-Balto-Slavic *(s)mēl-i-. Cognate with Lithuanian smė̃lis (“sand”), smėlỹs (“sand”), Latvian smēlis (“fine sand”), Old Norse melr (“sandbank”) (dialectal), Swedish smula (“chunk”) (dialectal). Related to *mělъkъ (“small, shallow”). Likely related to *melti (“to grind, mill”).

*mělь f^[1][2]

1. finely ground substance
2. chalk
3. sandbank

Apparently by Late Common Slavic times the two variants had started to diverge in meaning, with the feminine i-stem variant meaning "sand, sandbank" while the masculine o-stem variant meant "chalk, powder".

• *mělъ m

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: мѣлъ (mělŭ)
    • Belarusian: мел (mjel)
    • Russian: мель f (melʹ), мел m (mel)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: мѣлъ m (mělŭ)

  • Old Serbo-Croatian: мѣль f
    • Chakavian: mẽlj m, mél m
  • Slovene: mẹ̑lj m (tonal orthography), mẹ̑l f
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: měl m
    • Czech: měl f
  • Old Polish: miel f, miał m
    • Polish: miał m, mieł m (dialectal)
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: měł, měłny