Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/zmьjь

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

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Related to *zmьja and ultimately *zemľa, reflecting an original meaning of "animal which lives in the ground". ^[1]"eats from the earth or eats the earth"

For the semantic development within Indo-European, compare Kamkata-viri babístë, bibímstë (“snake”) < earlier *pa-bǘm stë (“being in the ground”).

Noun

*zmь̀jь m^[2]

snake
dragon

Declension

Declension of *zmь̀jь (soft o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*zmь̀jь	*zmьja	*zmьji
genitive	*zmьja	*zmьju	*zmьjь
dative	*zmьju	*zmьjema	*zmьjemъ
accusative	*zmь̀jь	*zmьja	*zmьję̇
instrumental	zmьjьmь, zmьjemь^*	*zmьjema	*zmьji
locative	*zmьji	*zmьju	*zmьjixъ
vocative	*zmьju	*zmьja	*zmьji

^* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

Related terms

*zmьja

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: змии (zmii), змьи (zmĭi), змѣи (změi)
  - Old Ruthenian: змей (zmej), змий (zmij)
    - Belarusian: змей (zmjej)
    - Carpathian Rusyn: змій (zmij)
    - Ukrainian: змій (zmij)
  - Russian: змей (zmej) (see there for further descendants)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic: змии (zmii)
  - → Russian: змий (zmij)
- Bulgarian: змей (zmej)
- Macedonian: змеј (zmej)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic script: зма̏ј
  
  Latin script: zmȁj
- Slovene: zmáj, zmȃj, zmȁj (tonal orthography)
West Slavic:
- Czech: zmije
- Polish: żmij
- Sorbian:
  - Upper Sorbian: zmij

Non-Slavic:
- → Romanian: zmeu

References

^ Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “змия”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 648
^ Derksen, Rick (2008) “*zmь̀jь”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 545

[1] Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “змия”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 648

[2] Derksen, Rick (2008) “*zmь̀jь”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 545

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