пасть

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Inherited from Old East Slavic пасти (pasti), from Proto-Slavic *pàsti (“to fall”).

пасть • (pastʹ) pf (imperfective па́дать)

1. (dated, literary) to fall
2. (of а decision, especially by lot) to fall on an option

   На́ш вы́бор па́л на пе́рвый вариа́нт. ― Náš výbor pál na pérvyj variánt. ― Our choice fell on the first option.

3. (figurative, higher register) to fall, to die on the battlefield, to be killed in action
4. (figurative, formal, of historical states, governments) to fall, to lose power, to cease to exist, to be toppled
5. (figurative, formal, of historical cities, castles) to fall, to give way under siege

   Прошло́ ме́ньше ве́ка, и непристу́пный за́мок всё-таки́ пал под уда́рами каза́цкой ко́нницы.

   Prošló ménʹše véka, i nepristúpnyj zámok vsjo-takí pal pod udárami kazáckoj kónnicy.

   After less than a century, even the impenetrable castle fell to the blows of the Cossack cavalry.

6. (figurative, formal) to stoop, to lower one's morals

   До како́й сте́пени на́до так ни́зко па́сть, что́бы пресмыка́ться перед тира́ном-захва́тчиком, кото́рый мечта́ет поста́вить весь ми́р на коле́ни?

   Do kakój stépeni nádo tak nízko pástʹ, štóby presmykátʹsja pered tiránom-zaxvátčikom, kotóryj mečtájet postávitʹ vesʹ mír na koléni?

   To what extent would one have to stoop so low as to grovel before the tyrant conqueror who wants to put the whole world under his thumb?

• Note that this verb has two past active participle forms: па́дший (pádšij) in the religious/moral sense, and па́вший (pávšij) for all other senses.

• упа́сть pf (upástʹ)
• поги́бнуть pf (pogíbnutʹ)

Attested since 1731. Inherited from Proto-Slavic *pastь, from *pasti (“to fall”) + *-tь.

пасть • (pastʹ) f inan (genitive па́сти, nominative plural па́сти, genitive plural па́стей)

1. mouth, maw, jaws (of an animal, reptile or fish)
2. (derogatory) mouth, piehole

   закро́й пасть! ― zakrój pastʹ! ― shut up!, shut your piehole!

3. throat
4. wide inlet on a device, structure or construction
5. trap, snare

• рот (rot)
• зев (zev)

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “паду”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “пасть”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “пасть”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), 3rd edition, volume 2 (панцирь – ящур), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 11