Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/modla

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

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *maldāˀ, equivalent to *modliti +‎ *-a. Cognate with Lithuanian maldà (“prayer”), Old Prussian maddla (“prayer”).

Noun

*modla f

1. idol

Inflection

Declension of *modla (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*modla	*modlě	*modly
genitive	*modly	*modlu	*modlъ
dative	*modlě	*modlama	*modlamъ
accusative	*modlǫ	*modlě	*modly
instrumental	*modlojǫ, *modlǫ**	*modlama	*modlami
locative	*modlě	*modlu	*modlasъ, *modlaxъ*
vocative	*modlo	*modlě	*modly

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).

Related terms

• *modliti

Descendants

• West Slavic:
  • Kashubian: mòdła
  • Old Czech: modla
    • Czech: modla
  • Old Polish: modła
    • Polish: modła
  • Slovak: modla

References

• Derksen, Rick (2008) “*modla”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 320