Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/mъrda
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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. |
Proto-Slavic
Etymology
Per Vasmer, borrowed from Iranian language, based on the appearance of /r/ in place of /l/; cognate with Old English molda (“head”), Ancient Greek βλωθρός (blōthrós, “lifted up, high”), Sanskrit मूर्धन् (mūrdhán, “forehead, head, apex”), Avestan 𐬐𐬀-𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬜𐬀 (ka-mərəδa, “head”). See Proto-Indo-Iranian *mr̥Hdʰā́. Possibly connected with synonymous Armenian մռութ (mṙutʻ). Alternatively a deverbal from *mъrdati (“to wag, to wiggle”).
Noun
*mъrda f
Inflection
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *mъrda | *mъrdě | *mъrdy |
| genitive | *mъrdy | *mъrdu | *mъrdъ |
| dative | *mъrdě | *mъrdama | *mъrdamъ |
| accusative | *mъrdǫ | *mъrdě | *mъrdy |
| instrumental | *mъrdojǫ, *mъrdǫ** | *mъrdama | *mъrdami |
| locative | *mъrdě | *mъrdu | *mъrdasъ, *mъrdaxъ* |
| vocative | *mъrdo | *mъrdě | *mъrdy |
* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
** 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).
Alternative forms
Descendants
- East Slavic:
- South Slavic:
Further reading
- Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “мо́рда”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress