Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/lękati

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 forms

• *lęcati

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Indo-European *lenk- (“to bend”).

Verb

*lękati

1. to lay snares, to set traps
2. (transitive) to scare

Inflection

Conjugation of *lękati, *lęka, *lękajetь (impf., -a-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*lękanьje	*lękati	*lękatъ	*lękalъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*lękanъ	*lękajemъ
Active	*lękavъ	*lękaję

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*lękaxъ	*lęka	*lęka	*lękajǫ	*lękaješi	*lękajetь
Dual	*lękaxově	*lękasta	*lękaste	*lękajevě	*lękajeta	*lękajete
Plural	*lękaxomъ	*lękaste	*lękašę	*lękajemъ	*lękajete	*lękajǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*lękaaxъ	*lękaaše	*lękaaše	—	*lękaji	*lękaji
Dual	*lękaaxově	*lękaašeta	*lękaašete	*lękajivě	*lękajita	—
Plural	*lękaaxomъ	*lękaašete	*lękaaxǫ	*lękajimъ	*lękajite	—

Conjugation of *lękati, *lęka, *lęčetь (impf., -a/j-, s-aorist, accent paradigm ?)

Verbal noun	Infinitive	Supine	L-participle
*lękanьje	*lękati	*lękatъ	*lękalъ

	Participles
Tense	Past	Present
Passive	*lękanъ	*lęčemъ
Active	*lękavъ	*lęčę

	Aorist			Present
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*lękaxъ	*lęka	*lęka	*lęčǫ	*lęčeši	*lęčetь
Dual	*lękaxově	*lękasta	*lękaste	*lęčevě	*lęčeta	*lęčete
Plural	*lękaxomъ	*lękaste	*lękašę	*lęčemъ	*lęčete	*lęčǫtь
	Imperfect			Imperative
Person	1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
Singular	*lękaaxъ	*lękaaše	*lękaaše	—	*lęči	*lęči
Dual	*lękaaxově	*lękaašeta	*lękaašete	*lęčivě	*lęčita	—
Plural	*lękaaxomъ	*lękaašete	*lękaaxǫ	*lęčimъ	*lęčite	—

Related terms

adjectives

• *lękъ
• *lǫkàvъ

nouns

• *lǫčьje
• *lǭkà
• *lǫ̑kъ

verbs

• *lęťi
• *lǭčìti

Descendants

• East Slavic
  • Russian: ляка́ть (ljakátʹ, “to scare, chase a fish caught in a net”) (dialectal)
  • Ukrainian: ляка́ти (ljakáty, “to frighten, scare”)
• South Slavic
  • Old Church Slavonic: лѩчѫтъ (ljęčǫtŭ, “they set traps, 3pl.”)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ле́цати

    Latin script: lécati

  • Slovene: lę́cati (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic
  • Old Czech: léceti (“to lay snares, set traps”)
    • Czech: lécet, lícet
    • Czech: lekat (“to frighten, scare”)
  • Polish: lękać się (“to be afraid”)
  • Slovak: ľakať (“to frighten, scare”)
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: lěkaś

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “ляка́”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress