Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/žalь

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

Alternative reconstructions

• *žàľь

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *gḗlˀis, *gḗlˀāˀ, an elongated ē-grade verbal noun of *želti (“to string”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-. Nearly exact cognate with Lithuanian gėlà (“pain, anguish”) (a-stem), gė́lė (“panifully, agonizingly”) (adverb). Further akin to Old Armenian կեղ (keł, “wound, sore”), Proto-Germanic *kwēlō (“agony”).

Noun

*žàlь f

1. burial monument
2. (abstract) regret, sorrow, pity, grief → sorry, woe (as an adverb or interjection)

   Synonyms: *pečalь, *tǫga, *mǫka, *gořestь, *skъrbь

Alternative forms

• *žalъ m (о-stem, in West Slavic)
• *žala f (ā-stem)

Inflection

Declension of *žàlь (i-stem, accent paradigm a)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*žàlь	*žàli	*žàli
genitive	*žàlī	*žàlьju, *žàľu*	*žàlьjь, *žàlī*
dative	*žàli	*žàlьma	*žàlьmъ
accusative	*žàlь	*žàli	*žàli
instrumental	*žàlьjǫ, *žàľǭ*	*žàlьma	*žàlьmī
locative	*žàlī	*žàlьju, *žàľu*	*žàlьxъ
vocative	*žali	*žàli	*žàli

^* The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).

Derived terms

• *žaliti, *žalěti (“to grieve, to mourn”)
  • *žalějь (“lament, whining”)
  • *sъžalěnьje (“pity, compassion”)
• *žalovati (“to feel sorry for, to pity”)
• *žalostь, *žalota (“pity, sympathy”)
• *žalьba (“lament, expression of regret, complaint”), *žaloba (“mourning”)
• *žalьnъ (“regetful, sorrowful”)
• *žalъkъ (“pitiful”)
• желя (želja)

Related terms

Proto-Slavic terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʷelH-‎ (0 c, 8 e)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: жаль (žalĭ)
    • Belarusian: жаль (žalʹ)
    • Russian: жаль (žalʹ)
    • Ukrainian: жаль (žalʹ)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: жаль (žalĭ, “burial monument”)
  • Bulgarian: жал (žal)
  • Macedonian: жал (žal)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: жа̑л, жа̏о

    Latin script: žȃl, žȁo

  • Slovene: žȁl
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: žal m
  • Kashubian: żôl m
  • Polish: żal m
  • Slovak: žiaľ m
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: žel
    • Upper Sorbian: žal

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “жаль”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “жал”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 522
• “gėla”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012