Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/rьtǫtь

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

Probably a fossilized present active participle from the verb *rьtь, derived from Proto-Indo-European *wreyt- (“to twist”). If so, related to Lithuanian rìsti (“to roll”), riẽsti (“to roll up”), Latvian rist (“to roll”), riest (“to fall off, separate”), Proto-Germanic *wrīþaną (“to twist, turn”).

Noun

*rьtǫtь f

1. mercury, quicksilver

Declension

Declension of *rьtǫtь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*rьtǫtь	*rьtǫti	*rьtǫti
genitive	*rьtǫti	*rьtǫtьju, *rьtǫťu*	*rьtǫtьjь, *rьtǫti*
dative	*rьtǫti	*rьtǫtьma	*rьtǫtьmъ
accusative	*rьtǫtь	*rьtǫti	*rьtǫti
instrumental	*rьtǫtьjǫ, *rьtǫťǫ*	*rьtǫtьma	*rьtǫtьmi
locative	*rьtǫti	*rьtǫtьju, *rьtǫťu*	*rьtǫtьxъ
vocative	*rьtǫti	*rьtǫti	*rьtǫti

^* 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).

Alternative reconstructions

• *rъtǫtь

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: рътуть (rŭtutĭ)
    • Belarusian: ртуць (rtucʹ)
    • Russian: ртуть (rtutʹ)
    • Ukrainian: ртуть (rtutʹ)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: rtut
    • Czech: rtuť
      • Bohemian (Chod dialect): tuť
  • Polish: rtęć
  • Slovak: ortuť

References

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