Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/žerti

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 1

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *gerˀtei (“devour”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷérh₃-ti ~ *gʷr̥h₃-énti, from *gʷerh₃- (“to devour, swallow”). Cognate with Lithuanian gerti (“to drink”), Latvian dzer̂t (“to drink”). Further related to Old English acworren, Proto-Germanic *kwerraną (“devour”), Avestan 𐬔𐬀𐬭- (gar-, “swallow up”), Old Armenian կերի (keri, “I ate”), Ancient Greek βιβρώσκω (bibrṓskō, “eat up”), βορά (borá, “food”), Latin vorō (“I devour”), Sanskrit गिरति (giráti, “devour”).

Verb

*žèrti impf

2. to devour, glut

Conjugation

Conjugation of *žerti, *žer, *žьretь (impf., -C-, s-aorist, accent paradigm c)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*žьrtьje	*žerti	*žertъ	*žьrlъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*žьrtъ	*žьromъ
Active	*žьrъ	*žьry

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*žerxъ	*žer	*žer	*žьrǫ	*žьreši	*žьretь
Dual	*žerxově	*žersta	*žerste	*žьrevě	*žьreta	*žьrete
Plural	*žerxomъ	*žerste	*žeršę	*žьremъ	*žьrete	*žьrǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*žьrěaxъ	*žьrěaše	*žьrěaše	—	*žьri	*žьri
Dual	*žьrěaxově	*žьrěašeta	*žьrěašete	*žьrěvě	*žьrěta	—
Plural	*žьrěaxomъ	*žьrěašete	*žьrěaxǫ	*žьrěmъ	*žьrěte	—

Notes:
• (*)*žьrenъ is doublet of past passive participle

Alternative forms

• *žьrati (later variant, based on present stem)

Derived terms

• *žerdlo (“gorge, chine”)
• *gъrdlo (“throat”)
• *gъrtànь (“larynx”)
• *žeřuxa

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: жерети (žereti), жьрати (žĭrati)
    • Belarusian: жэрць (žercʹ), жэ́рці (žérci)
    • Russian: жрать (žratʹ)
    • Ukrainian: же́рти (žérty), жра́ти (žráty), жере́ти (žeréty)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: пожрѣти (požrěti)

    Glagolitic script: ⱂⱁⰶⱃⱑⱅⰹ (požrěti)

  • Macedonian: ждере (ždere)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ждѐрати, ждрије̑ти, ждре̑ти

    Latin script: ždèrati, ždrijȇti, ždrȇti, (regional) nažriti

  • Slovene: žrẹ́ti (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: žřieti, žráti
    • Czech: žrát
  • Kashubian: rżéc
  • Polish: żreć
  • Silesian: żrać
  • Slovak: žrat'
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: žraś, žreś
    • Upper Sorbian: źrać, žrjeć

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “жрать”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Skok, Petar (1973) “Proto-Slavic/žerti”, in Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika [Etymological Dictionary of the Croatian or Serbian Language] (in Serbo-Croatian), volumes 3 (poni² – Ž), Zagreb: JAZU, page 673
• Melnychuk, O. S., editor (1982–2012), “же́рти”, in Етимологічний словник української мови [Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka

Etymology 2

From Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH-.

Verb

*žerti impf

2. Alternative form of *žьrti

Conjugation

Conjugation of *žerti, *žer, *žьřetь (impf., -C/j-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*žьrtьje	*žerti	*žertъ	*žьrlъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*žьrtъ	*žьřemъ
Active	*žьrъ	*žьřę

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*žerxъ	*žer	*žer	*žьřǫ	*žьřeši	*žьřetь
Dual	*žerxově	*žersta	*žerste	*žьřevě	*žьřeta	*žьřete
Plural	*žerxomъ	*žerste	*žeršę	*žьřemъ	*žьřete	*žьřǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*žьřaaxъ	*žьřaaše	*žьřaaše	—	*žьři	*žьři
Dual	*žьřaaxově	*žьřaašeta	*žьřaašete	*žьřivě	*žьřita	—
Plural	*žьřaaxomъ	*žьřaašete	*žьřaaxǫ	*žьřimъ	*žьřite	—

Notes:
• (*)*žьrjenъ is doublet of past passive participle

Descendants

• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: жрѣти (žrěti)
    • ⇒ Bulgarian: жре́я (žréja) (obsolete)

Further reading

• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “жрея”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 554