Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/sluga

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.

Disputed:

• Zubatý, Brückner: Cognate with Lithuanian slaugà (“servitude, assistance”) (abstract noun) and probably^[1] Proto-Celtic *slougos (“troop, military regiment”); per Matasović, a collective deadjectival from an earlier Proto-Balto-Slavic *sláugas (“adherent?”) + *-a < perhaps Proto-Indo-European *slew- (“to proceed, to adhere to”). Favoured by Vasmer, Machek, Snoj. Some scholars (Mikkola, Šakhmatov) even consider an early borrowing from Celtic.
• Mladenov, Ondruš: Native formation from *sluti (“to call”) +‎ *-ga, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to listen”). Akin to Latin cliēns (“customer, companion”).

*slūgà m^[2][3]

1. servant, attendant

   Synonym: *prislužьnikъ

The word usually refers to a male servant, even though it is an ā-stem. The female equivalent is *slugyni < *sluga +‎ *-yni.

• *slugyni f
• *služiti (“to serve”) (causative), *slugovati (“to serve”) (factitive)
  • *služenьje, *služьba (“service”)
• *posluga (“help, assistance”)
• *prisluga (“service force (collectively)”)
• *usluga (“favour, service”)
• *zasluga (“merit”)

• *slověninъ (“Slav”) (per Brückner)
• *sluzь (“slime”), *sluda/*sludy (“moulding”) (possibly)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: слꙋга (sluga)
    • Belarusian: слуга́ (sluhá)
    • Russian: слуга́ (slugá)
    • Ukrainian: слуга́ (sluhá)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: слоуга (sluga)

    Glagolitic script: ⱄⰾⱆⰳⰰ (sluga)

  • Bulgarian: слуга́ (slugá)
  • Macedonian: слуга (sluga)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: слу́га

    Latin script: slúga

  • Slovene: slúga
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: slúha
    • Czech: sluha
  • Polish: sługa
  • Slovak: sluha

• → Hungarian: szolga
• → Romanian: slugă
• →⇒? Proto-Finnic: *sulhainën (see there for further descendants)

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “слуга”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Todorov, T. A., Racheva, M., editors (2010), “слуга”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 7 (слòво – теря̀свам), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 117
• “slauga”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012