Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/zelьje

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.

Collective noun from an earlier i-stem adjective *zelь +‎ *-ьje, continuing Proto-Balto-Slavic *źelˀias (“green”),^[1] ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“to sprout, to shine”). Baltic languages reflect almost the same lemma, however, with o-grade: Lithuanian žãlias (“green”), Latvian zaļš (“green”). Further cognate with Sanskrit हरि (hari, “golden, pale, yellow”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ʰárHiš.

*zèlьje n^[2]

1. vegetation, herbs (usually fresh)
2. (by specialization) cabbage

   Synonym: *kapusta

• *zelьka (diminutive)

• *zelenъ (“green”)
• *zola (“ashes, murky water”) (possibly)
• *zolto (“gold”)
• *zьlčь (“bile”)
• *žьltъ (“yellow”)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: зелье (zelĭje)
    • Old Ruthenian: зельє (zelʹje), зелїє (zelije), зеллє (zellje), зеллꙗ (zellja)
      • Belarusian: зе́лле (zjéllje)
      • Ukrainian: зі́лля (zíllja)
    • Russian: зе́лье (zélʹje, “potion”)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: зелиѥ (zelije)
  • Bulgarian: зе́ле (zéle, “cabbage”)
    • ⇒ Bulgarian: зелка (zelka)
  • Macedonian: зелје (zelje)
    • ⇒ Macedonian: зелка (zelka, “cabbage”)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: зе̑ље (“cabbage, spinach”)

    Latin script: zȇlje (“cabbage, spinach”)

  • Slovene: zẹ́ljе (“vegetation, grass”)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: zelí (“cabbage”)
  • Polabian: ziľă (“grass”)
  • Polish: ziele
  • Slovak: ziele
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: zele
    • Upper Sorbian: zеlо

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “зелье”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “зеле”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 631