Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/drabъ

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

Based on similarities with Proto-West Germanic *trappā (“staircase”) (whence German Treppe (“stairs”), Dutch trap (“staircase”)), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dreb-, from an extension of *derH- (“to tear, to tug”). The long grade in Slavic is likely due to Winter's law.

Per Vasmer, Russian "soft" vocalism is of expressive origin.

Noun

*drabъ m

1. staircase (of а ladder)
2. (by generalization) part of framework

Alternative forms

• *drabь f

Declension

Declension of *drabъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*drabъ	*draba	*drabi
genitive	*draba	*drabu	*drabъ
dative	*drabu	*draboma	*drabomъ
accusative	*drabъ	*draba	*draby
instrumental	*drabъmь, *drabomь*	*draboma	*draby
locative	*drabě	*drabu	*draběxъ
vocative	*drabe	*draba	*drabi

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Derived terms

• *drabina (“ladder”)
• *drabьcь (“vane, oak of plow”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: дра́бы pl (dráby, “ribs”)
  • Russian: дря́бы pl (drjáby, “carriage”)
• West Slavic:
  • Kashubian: drôbka, drôb
  • Old Polish: drab
    • Masovian Polish: drabia
    • ⇒ Polish: drabka (regional)
    • ⇒ Silesian: drabka

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1978), “*drabъ/мн. *draby”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 5 (*dělo – *dьržьlь), Moscow: Nauka, page 100
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “дрябы”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress

Etymology 2

• Trubačev tentatively identifies/relates it with Etymology 1.
• Derksen connects it instead to Lithuanian dróbė (“linen cloth”), drabùžis (“garment, clothing”), drãbanas (“(dialectal) rags”), Latvian drẽbe (“piece of clothing”). Further akin to Lithuanian drėbti (“to strike”), Latvian drêbt (“to beat”), Proto-Germanic *drepaną (“to hit”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreb- (“to shear, to beat”). Perhaps also related to Proto-Slavic *drebъxa (“cloth, dress”) from *dʰrebʰ- (“to fracture”), as well as to Ancient Greek δρέπω (drépō, “to pluck”), Proto-Slavic *drāpàti (“to scratch”).

Principally homophonous with Old Czech dráb (“beadle”), of German origin. From there may also descend colloquial Ukrainian драб (drab, “begger”).

Noun

*drabъ m

1. clothing, rag

Declension

Declension of *drabъ (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*drabъ	*draba	*drabi
genitive	*draba	*drabu	*drabъ
dative	*drabu	*draboma	*drabomъ
accusative	*drabъ	*draba	*draby
instrumental	*drabъmь, *drabomь*	*draboma	*draby
locative	*drabě	*drabu	*draběxъ
vocative	*drabe	*draba	*drabi

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Descendants

• West Slavic:
  • Moravian Czech: zdraby pl
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: draby pl

References

Further reading

• Derksen, Rick (2015) “drobė”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 13), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 141
• Melnychuk, O. S., editor (1982–2012), “драб”, in Етимологічний словник української мови [Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka