Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/batь

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

Usually viewed as a baby-word or a borrowing:

• Berneker, Machek: Baby-talk modification of *bratrъ (“brother”).
• Sobolevsky: Ultimately of Iranian origin, probably from Proto-Iranian *pHtā́ (“father”). According to Miklošič, possibly borrowed via an intermediate Turkic language (compare Proto-Turkic *bāča (“elder relative”) or the title of Bat Bayan, an Oghur-Bulghar prince).
• Orel: From a Paleo-Balkan substrate, possibly cognate with Albanian bacë (“elder relative”) (honorific), Romanian baci (“main shepherd”). May be further akin to Ancient Greek φώς (phṓs, “man, hero”) (gen. φωτός (phōtós)).

Morphologically resembles kin terms in *-tь, including *zętь (“son-in-law”), *tьstь (“father-in-law”), *netь(jь) (“nephew”).

Compare also Hungarian bátya (“big brother”), Moksha патя (paťa, “elder sibling”), Komi-Permyak бать (bať). Further reminiscent of Turkish baba, dial. Tatar aba, Hungarian apa, Ket баат (“patriarch, old man”), Proto-Mongolic *aba, Korean 아빠 (appa).

Noun

*batь n

1. elder relative or respected acquaintance (as a honorific)
2. (figurative) role model

Declension

Declension of *batь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*batь	*bati	*batьje, *baťe*
genitive	*bati	*batьju, *baťu*	*batьjь, *bati*
dative	*bati	*batьma	*batьmъ
accusative	*batь	*bati	*bati
instrumental	*batьmь	*batьma	*batьmi
locative	*bati	*batьju, *baťu*	*batьxъ
vocative	*bati	*bati	*batьje, *baťe*

^* 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).

See also

Proto-Slavic family terms

*sěmьja, *rodina (“family”)	Male	Female
parent	*otъ, *otьcь (“father”) nursery: *tata	*mati (“mother”) nursery: *mama
sibling	*bratrъ (“brother”)	*sestra (“sister”)
child	*synъ (“son”)	*dъťi (“daughter”)
grandparent	– (“grandfather”) nursery: *dědъ; *nana	*ova (“grandmother”) nursery: *baba; *nena
grandchild	*vъnukъ (“grandson”)	*vъnuka (“granddaughter”)
stepparent	*otьčimъ (“stepfather”)	*maťexa (“stepmother”)
stepchild	*pastorъkъ (“stepson”)	*pastorъka (“stepdaughter”)
father's sibling	*strъjь (“paternal uncle”) nursery: *dada; *lola	– (“paternal aunt”) nursery: *teta; *lelja
mother's sibling	*ujь (“maternal uncle”) nursery: *dada; *lola	– (“maternal aunt”) nursery: *teta; *lelja
sibling's child	*netьjь (“nephew”)	*nestera (“niece”)
spouse	*mǫžь (“husband”)	*žena (“wife”)
parent of wife	*tьstь (“father-in-law (wife's father)”)	*tьšča (“mother-in-law (wife's mother)”)
parent of husband	*svekrъ (“father-in-law (husband's father)”)	*svekry (“mother-in-law (husband's father)”)
sibling of wife	*šurь (“brother-in-law (wife's brother)”)	*svěstь, *svьstь (“sister-in-law (wife's sister)”)
sibling of husband	*děverь (“brother-in-law (husband's brother)”)	*zъly (“sister-in-law (husband's sister)”)
spouse of child	*zętь (“son-in-law (daughter's husband)”)	*snъxa (“daughter-in-law (son's wife)”)
spouse of husband's brother	–	*ętry (“sister-in-law (husband's brother's wife)”)

Derived terms

• *batę (diminutive)
• *batьko (“big brother”)
• *baťa (“father”)
  • *baťica (diminutive)
  • *baťuxa (augmentative)
  • *baťina (“fatherland, heritage, origin”)
  • *baťinъ (“fatherly”)

Related terms

• *bratrъ (“brother”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Ukrainian: бат (bat) (dialectal)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: бат (bat) (honorific)

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1974), “*bata/*baťa/*batja”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 1 (*a – *besědьlivъ), Moscow: Nauka, page 162
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “бате”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 36
• Orel, Vladimir E. (1998) “bacë”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 13