Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/pečalь

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

Abstract deverbial noun reflecting Pre-Slavic *pekělь, formed as *pekti (“to bake”) +‎ *-ělь. Underwent the same semantic shift burning → pain, burden → sadness, grief as Proto-Slavic *goře.

Noun

*pečalь f

1. burden

   → (by abstraction) sadness, emotional pain

   Synonyms: *tǫga, *mǫka, *grustь

2. (by specialization) sorrow, grief, mourning

   Synonyms: *gořestь, *skъrbь

3. (regional) hard work

   → (by metonymy) profit, reward

Inflection

Declension of *pečalь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*pečalь	*pečali	*pečali
genitive	*pečali	*pečalьju, *pečaľu*	*pečalьjь, *pečali*
dative	*pečali	*pečalьma	*pečalьmъ
accusative	*pečalь	*pečali	*pečali
instrumental	*pečalьjǫ, *pečaľǫ*	*pečalьma	*pečalьmi
locative	*pečali	*pečalьju, *pečaľu*	*pečalьxъ
vocative	*pečali	*pečali	*pečali

^* 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

• *pečenь (“baking, dish cooked in oven”)
• *peťь (“oven”)
• *pečьka (“cooker”)
• *pьklo (“scorching heat”)
• *pečivo (“cake, cookie, bread”)
• *peka (“roast, barbecue”)
• *pečatь (“seal, imprint”)
• *potъ (“sweat”)

Derived terms

• *opečalěnъ (“mourned, grieved”)
• *pečalьnъ (“sorrowful, traumatic, tragic”)
• *pečalьba (“gain, profit”)
• *pečaliti (“to profit, to gain a reward”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: печаль (pečalĭ)
    • Belarusian: печа́ль (pječálʹ)
    • Russian: печа́ль (pečálʹ)
    • Ukrainian: печа́ль (pečálʹ)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: печаль (pečalĭ)
  • Bulgarian: печа́л (pečál, “sorrow, sadness”), пе́чал (péčal, “gain, profit”)
  • Macedonian: печал (pečal)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: печаљ (obsolete)

    Latin script: pečalj (obsolete)

  • Slovene: реčа̑l

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “печаль”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Duridanov, I. V., Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (1996), “печа̀л (sorrow)”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 5 (падѐж – пỳска), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 211
• Duridanov, I. V., Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (1996), “пѐчал (profit, gain)”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 5 (падѐж – пỳска), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 211