Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/sъmьrtь

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 *sъ- +‎ *mьrtь, the second element from Proto-Balto-Slavic *mirtís, from Proto-Indo-European *mértis.

Noun

*sъmьrtь f

1. death

Declension

Declension of *sъmьrtь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*sъmьrtь	*sъmьrti	*sъmьrti
genitive	*sъmьrti	*sъmьrtьju, *sъmьrťu*	*sъmьrtьjь, *sъmьrti*
dative	*sъmьrti	*sъmьrtьma	*sъmьrtьmъ
accusative	*sъmьrtь	*sъmьrti	*sъmьrti
instrumental	*sъmьrtьjǫ, *sъmьrťǫ*	*sъmьrtьma	*sъmьrtьmi
locative	*sъmьrti	*sъmьrtьju, *sъmьrťu*	*sъmьrtьxъ
vocative	*sъmьrti	*sъmьrti	*sъmьrti

^* 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).

Derived terms

• *sъmьrtьnъ
• *posъmьrtьnъ
• *sъmьrtьnikъ
• *sъmьrtьnica
• *bezsъmьrtьnъ
• *sъmьrtьnostь
• *bezsъmьrtьnostь
• *sъmьrtonosьnъ

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: съмьрть (sŭmĭrtĭ)
    • Belarusian: смерць (smjercʹ)
      • → Lithuanian: smertis
    • Russian: смерть (smertʹ)
    • Carpathian Rusyn: смерть (smertʹ)
    • Ukrainian: смерть (smertʹ)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: съмрьть (sŭmrĭtĭ)

    Glagolitic: ⱄⱏⰿⱃⱐⱅⱐ (sŭmrĭtĭ)

  • Bulgarian: смърт (smǎrt)
  • Macedonian: смрт (smrt)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: смр̏т

    Latin script: smȑt

  • Slovene: smȓt (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: smrt
    • Czech: smrt
  • Old Polish: śmierć, śmierzć, śmirć, śmirzć
    • Polish: śmierć
    • Silesian: śmierć
  • Old Slovak: smerť, smrť
    • Pannonian Rusyn: шмерц (šmerc)
    • Slovak: smrť
  • Polabian: såmart
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: smierc
    • Slovincian: smjêrc
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: smjerć
    • Lower Sorbian: smjerś

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1994), “*mьrtь/*mьrta”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 21 (*mъrskovatъjь – *nadějьnъjь), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 150
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “смерть”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Šanskij, N. M. (2004) “смерть”, in Školʹnyj etimologičeskij slovarʹ russkovo jazyka [School Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Drofa