Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/kolěno

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

Formed as **kol- +‎ *-ěno, of disputed origin. Proposed etymologies include:

• From Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to turn, rotate”) or *kʷelh₁- (“to revolve”). Possibly, via s-extension, the origin of Latin collum (“neck”), Proto-Germanic *halsaz (“neck”).
• From Proto-Indo-European *kelH- (“to rise, raise, lift”), often claimed as the origin of Proto-Slavic *čelo (“forehead”) and (first part of) *čeľustь (“jaw”).
• Occassionally compared to Ancient Greek σκέλος (skélos, “leg”), of disputed descent. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kel- (“to bend, crook”).

Akin to Lithuanian kẽlis (“knee”), kelė́nas (“knee joint”) and Latvian celis (“knee”). Arguably, further related to Ancient Greek κῶλον (kôlon, “member, body part”), Ancient Greek κυλλός (kullós, “crooked, deformed”).

Secondary meaning “lineage” is sometimes considered unrelated, commonly linked with *čeľadь (“offsprings”) (collective) of uncertain origin. According to some interpretations, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kʷel- (“to rally (a group), to crowd”) (whence Proto-Germanic *skulō (“crowd, multitude”)).

Noun

*kolě̀no n

1. knee
2. (secondary) lineage, pedigree

   Synonym: *poteklo

Inflection

Declension of *kolě̀no (hard o-stem, accent paradigm a)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*kolě̀no	*kolě̀ně	*kolě̀na
genitive	*kolě̀na	*kolě̀nu	*kolě̀nъ
dative	*kolě̀nu	*kolě̀noma	*kolě̀nomъ
accusative	*kolě̀no	*kolě̀ně	*kolě̀na
instrumental	*kolě̀nъmь, *kolě̀nomь*	*kolě̀noma	*kolě̀nȳ
locative	*kolě̀ně	*kolě̀nu	*kolě̀ně̄xъ
vocative	*kolě̀no	*kolě̀ně	*kolě̀na

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

Derived terms

• *kolěniti, *kolěničiti (“to kneel”)
• *kolěnьce (diminutive)
• *kolěnьnъ, *kolěnьskъ

Related terms

• *pokolěnьje (“generation”)
• *kolo (“wheel”)
  • *kolьce (“hoop”)
  • *kolěja (“wheel track”)
  • *kolǫtъ (“ring, loop”)
• *čeľadь (“children; household”)
• *čelo (“forehead”)
  • *čelesьnъ (“top, frontal”)
• *čelnъ (“member”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: колѣно (kolěno)
    • Belarusian: кале́на (kaljéna)
    • Russian: коле́но (koléno)
    • Ukrainian: колі́но (kolíno)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: колѣно (kolěno)

    Glagolitic: ⰽⱁⰾⱑⱀⱁ (kolěno)

  • Bulgarian: коля́но (koljáno)
  • Macedonian: колено (koleno)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ко̀лено, ко̀љено, колино

    Latin script: kòleno, kòljeno, kolino

  • Slovene: kolẹ́no (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: koleno
    • Czech: koleno
  • Polabian: ťüľonĕ
  • Polish: kolano
  • Slovak: koleno
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: kòlano
    • Slovincian: kôlanô
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: kóleno
    • Upper Sorbian: koleno

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “колено”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1983), “*kolěno”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 10 (*klepačь – *konь), Moscow: Nauka, page 132
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1979), “коляно”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 2 (и – крепя̀), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 565
• Gluhak, Alemko (1993) “Proto-Slavic/kolěno”, in Hrvatski etimološki rječnik [Croatian Etymology Dictionary] (in Serbo-Croatian), Zagreb: August Cesarec, →ISBN, page 329
• “kelis”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012