From Proto-Balto-Slavic *medwḗˀdis (originally probably a consonant stem *medwēˀd-, later reformed into an i-stem based on the accusative in *-in, as typical in Balto-Slavic), equivalent to *medъ (“honey”) + *(j)ěsti (“to eat”), hence literally the epithet "honey-eater". Cognate with Sanskrit मध्वद् (madhv-ád-, “eating sweetness”) (RV I 164,22). Presumably came into use as taboo avoidance of an earlier word, possibly something like *rьstъ (compare Lithuanian irštvà (“bear's den”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos). Similar proposed examples of linguistic taboo for 'bear' are Proto-Germanic *berô (“the brown one”), Latvian lācis (“stomper, pounder”), Sanskrit भल्ल (bhalla) and Old Irish math (“the good one”).
There is a false etymology from *medъ and *věděti (“to know, to manage”), hence "one who knows honey" or "honey master".
Reconstructed as a jo-stem in Derksen 2008, since no descendants reflect an i-stem. But may have originally been an i-stem based on the lack of iotation of the final *d.
singular | dual | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
nominative | *medvě̀dь | *medvě̀da | *medvě̀di |
genitive | *medvě̀da | *medvě̀du | *medvě̀dь |
dative | *medvě̀du | *medvě̀dema | *medvě̀dēmъ |
accusative | *medvě̀dь | *medvě̀da | *medvě̀dę̇ |
instrumental | *medvě̀dьmь, *medvě̀demь* | *medvě̀dema | *medvě̀dī |
locative | *medvě̀di | *medvě̀du | *medvě̀dīxъ |
vocative | *medvě̀du | *medvě̀da | *medvě̀di |
singular | dual | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
nominative | *medvě̀dь | *medvě̀di | *medvě̀dьjē, *medvě̀ďē* |
genitive | *medvě̀dī | *medvě̀dьju, *medvě̀ďu* | *medvě̀dьjь, *medvě̀dī* |
dative | *medvě̀di | *medvě̀dьma | *medvě̀dьmъ |
accusative | *medvě̀dь | *medvě̀di | *medvě̀di |
instrumental | *medvě̀dьmь | *medvě̀dьma | *medvě̀dьmī |
locative | *medvě̀dī | *medvě̀dьju, *medvě̀ďu* | *medvě̀dьxъ |
vocative | *medvědi | *medvě̀di | *medvě̀dьjē, *medvě̀ďē* |