Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/plьsky

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

Cognate with Lithuanian pliskėti (“to clear out, to polish”), both from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pley- (“to split, to splice”). Further related to Proto-Slavic *plьxъ (“bald”) (whence Czech plchý), *plěšь (“bald”), Lithuanian plìkas (“bald”), Latvian pliks (“naked, bare”).

Noun

*plьsky f

1. (probably) clear, spot-free place

Usage notes

Only attested in toponyms, so the exact meaning is unclear.

Declension

Declension of *plьsky (hard v-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*plьsky	*plьskъvi	*plьskъvi
genitive	*plьskъve	*plьskъvu	*plьskъvъ
dative	*plьskъvi	*plьskъvьma, *plьskъvama*	*plьskъvьmъ, *plьskъvamъ*
accusative	*plьskъvь	*plьskъvi	*plьskъvi
instrumental	*plьskъvьjǫ, *plьskъvľǫ**	*plьskъvьma, *plьskъvama*	*plьskъvьmi, *plьskъvami*
locative	*plьskъve	*plьskъvu	*plьskъvьxъ, *plьskъvaxъ*
vocative	*plьsky	*plьskъvi	*plьskъvi

^* -ьmъ/etc. are the original consonant-stem endings, while -amъ/etc. are later Common Slavic endings formed by analogy with a-stems.
^** 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).

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • ⇒ Old East Slavic: Пльсковъ (Plĭskovŭ), Пьсковъ (Pĭskovŭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: Псковъ (Pskov)
      • Belarusian: Пскоў (Pskoŭ)
      • Ukrainian: Псков (Pskov)
    • Russian: Псков (Pskov), Опско́в (Opskóv)
    • → Middle Low German: Pleskow
      • German: Pleskau
      • → English: Plescow, Pleskow, Pleskou
      • → French: Plescou
      • → Latvian: Pleskava, Pliskava
    • → Estonian: Pihkva
    • → Finnish: Pihkova
  • ⇒ Old Novgorodian: Пльскове (Plĭskove)
• South Slavic:
  • ⇒ Old Church Slavonic: Пльскова (Plĭskova)
    • → Byzantine Greek: Πλίσκοβα (Plískoba), Πλίσκουβα (Plískouba), ΠΛΣΚΑ (PLSKA)
      • → Bulgarian: Пли́ска (Plíska)

Further reading

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