Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/svatъ

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.

If Latgalian svõts (“relative”) is a cognate (rather than a borrowing), then perhaps both inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *swṓtas. Ultimately, from a t-extension of Proto-Indo-European *swé (“self”), whence also Lithuanian svetỹs, svẽčias (“guest”); Ancient Greek ἔτης (étēs, “clansman”).

Machek advocates for an original u-stem in view of related Old Czech svatvie (“wedlocking”) (< *svatvьje).

*svàtъ m^[1][2]

1. father of one of the newlyweds
2. (by generalization) wedder, matchmaker (attendant of a wedding)

   Synonym: *svatьbařь

• *svati f, *svaxa f (feminine counterparts)
• *svatovati (“to wed”)
  • *svatovьstvo (“matchmaking”)
• *svatьba (“wedding”)
• *svatovъ
  • *svatovьnikъ m, *svatovьnica f (“matchmaker”)

• *svojь (“own”)
  • *svojatъ (“intrinsic to oneself”)
• *svakъ (“uncle, male relative”)
• *svekrъ (“father-in-law”), *svekry (“mother-in-law”)
• *sětiti (“to attend, to visit”)

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “сват”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (2002), “сват”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 6 (пỳскам – словàр²), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 534
• “svečias”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012