Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/cěstiti

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

On account of the acute, probably from Pre-Slavic *koid-titi, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)koyd- (“to split; to filter”), related to Proto-Slavic *cěditi (“to strain”).

According to Trubachev, o-vocalism of Proto-Slavic *čistiti (“to clean”). Alternatively, per J. Zubaty (1982), from an unattested *cěstъ (“clear, pure”) +‎ *-iti, cognate with Lithuanian skaistùs (“bright”) (dial. skáistas (“bright”)), Latvian skaĩsts (“beautiful”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *(s)káiˀstas. Further related to Latvian skaidrs (“clear”).

Verb

*cě̀stiti impf

1. to cleanse

Conjugation

Conjugation of *cěstiti, *cěsti, *cěstitь (impf., -i-, s-aorist, accent paradigm a)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*cěsťenьje	*cěstiti	*cěstitъ	*cěstilъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*cěsťenъ	*cěstimъ
Active	*cěsťь	*cěstę

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*cěstixъ	*cěsti	*cěsti	*cěsťǫ	*cěstiši	*cěstitь
Dual	*cěstixově	*cěstista	*cěstiste	*cěstivě	*cěstita	*cěstite
Plural	*cěstixomъ	*cěstiste	*cěstišę	*cěstimъ	*cěstite	*cěstętь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*cěsťaaxъ	*cěsťaaše	*cěsťaaše	—	*cěsti	*cěsti
Dual	*cěsťaaxově	*cěsťaašeta	*cěsťaašete	*cěstivě	*cěstita	—
Plural	*cěsťaaxomъ	*cěsťaašete	*cěsťaaxǫ	*cěstimъ	*cěstite	—

Notes:
• (*)*cěstivъ is a later doublet of the past active participle

Related terms

• *cěditi (“to strain”)
• *čistiti (“to clean, to purify”)
• *čistъ (“clean, pure”)

Descendants

• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: цѣстити (cěstiti, “to geld, to baptize (refl.); to purge (trans.)”)

    Glagolitic script: ⱌⱑⱄⱅⰻⱅⰻ (cěstiti, “to geld, to baptize (refl.); to purge (trans.)”)

    • Russian Church Slavonic: цѣстити (cěstiti)
  • Slovene: cẹ́stiti (“to castrate”)

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1976), “*cěstiti”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 3 (*bratrьcь – *cьrky), Moscow: Nauka, page 189