Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/kyčiti

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

Alternative reconstructions

• *kytъčiti

Etymology

Most likely, a causative verb of *kyka (“pigtail, decoration”) +‎ *-iti. Some of the meanings may have been influenced by the onomatopoeic Proto-Slavic *kykotěti (“to giggle”), Proto-Slavic *kykati (“to crow”). Georgiev makes connection with forms of the semantic kernel Proto-Slavic *kyt- as if from an earlier *kytъčiti. Ultimately both the t- and the k-forms are probably extensions of Proto-Slavic *kuti (“to hew, to forge”) / Proto-Slavic *kujati (“to cow, to crook”), so semantic overlapping is to be expected.

Verb

*kyčiti impf

1. to hook up, to hang, to pin

   Synonyms: *zakačiti, *prověsiti

2. (by extension) to adorn, to decorate
3. (derogatorily) to brag

   Synonym: *xvaliti

Inflection

Conjugation of *kyčiti, *kyči, *kyčitь (impf., -i-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*kyčenьje	*kyčiti	*kyčitъ	*kyčilъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*kyčenъ	*kyčimъ
Active	*kyčь	*kyčę

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*kyčixъ	*kyči	*kyči	*kyčǫ	*kyčiši	*kyčitь
Dual	*kyčixově	*kyčista	*kyčiste	*kyčivě	*kyčita	*kyčite
Plural	*kyčixomъ	*kyčiste	*kyčišę	*kyčimъ	*kyčite	*kyčętь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*kyčaaxъ	*kyčaaše	*kyčaaše	—	*kyči	*kyči
Dual	*kyčaaxově	*kyčaašeta	*kyčaašete	*kyčivě	*kyčita	—
Plural	*kyčaaxomъ	*kyčaašete	*kyčaaxǫ	*kyčimъ	*kyčite	—

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

Related terms

• *kuka (“hook”)
• *kyčati (“to hang, to decorate”) (emphatic)
  • *kyča (“overcoat”)
  • *kyčьma
• *kytiti (“to cluster, to form a bouquet”)
• *kytъka (“wrist, sheaf, bouquet”)
• *kytъčestъ (“flamboyant”)

Derived terms

• *kyčenъ (“pinned, hanged, decorated”)
• *kyčь (“pomp, splendor”)
• *kyčьka (“decoration”)
• *kyčьlъ (“hip”)
• *kyčurъ (“tuft”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: кꙑчити (kyčiti)
    • Russian: кичи́ться (kičítʹsja, “to brag”)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: кꙑчити (kyčiti)
  • Bulgarian: кича (kiča) (3p. sg. кичи (kiči))
  • Macedonian: кичи (kiči)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ки́чити (“to brag”)

    Latin script: kíčiti (“to brag”)

  • → Slovene: nakȋčiti, čȋčkati

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “кичиться”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1987), “*kyčiti (sę)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков (in Russian), numbers 13 (*kroměžirъ – *kyžiti), Moscow: Nauka, page 250
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1979), “кича¹”, in Български етимологичен речник (in Bulgarian), volume 2 (и – крепя̀), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 403
• Snoj, Marko (2016) “kȋč”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar (in Slovene), 3rd edition, https://fran.si: “nakȋčiti”