Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/sьrstь

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 *sьrxъ (“rustle, rough surface”) +‎ *-tь, continuing *ḱers- ("to pop out"), probably an s-extension of Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- (“to grow, to plait”). Almost cognate with (dated) Lithuanian šértis (“moulting, changing of fur”) and akin to Lithuanian šerys (“bristle”), Proto-Germanic *hērą (“hair”). Further related to Old Armenian սար (sar, “hilltop, mountain”), Middle Persian 𐭫𐭥𐭩𐭱𐭤 (sar, “head; top, summit”) and Proto-Germanic *hurną (“horn”), Ancient Greek κέρας (kéras, “horn”), Proto-Slavic *sьrna (“deer”) via h₂-extension.

Noun

*sь̑rstь f

1. fur, hair, wool (usually rough or stiff)

   Synonyms: *volsъ, *vьlna

   Antonym: *puxъ (“fluffy fur”)

Declension

Declension of *sь̑rstь (i-stem, accent paradigm c)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*sь̑rstь	*sь̑rsti	*sь̑rsti
genitive	*sьrstí	*sьrstьjù, *sьrsťu*	*sьrstь̀jь
dative	*sь̑rsti	*sьrstьmà	*sь̑rstьmъ
accusative	*sь̑rstь	*sь̑rsti	*sь̑rsti
instrumental	*sьrstьjǫ́	*sьrstьmà	*sьrstьmì
locative	*sьrstí	*sьrstьjù, *sьrsťu*	*sь̑rstьxъ
vocative	*sьrsti	*sь̑rsti	*sь̑rsti

^* 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

• *sьrхъ (“rustle, rough surface”)
• *sьrxъkъ (“rough, stiff”)
• *sьrхavъ (“irritant”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: сьрсть (sĭrstĭ), шьрсть (šĭrstĭ)
    • Belarusian: шэрсць (šerscʹ)
    • Russian: шерсть (šerstʹ), ше́ресть (šérestʹ)
    • Ukrainian: шерсть (šerstʹ)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: сръсть (srŭstĭ) (Serbian rendition)
  • Slovene: sȓst (tonal orthography) (dialectal)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: srst
  • Polish: sierść, szerść
  • Slovak: srsť
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: syršć
    • Upper Sorbian: seršć

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “шерсть”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “шерсть”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), 3rd edition, volume 2 (панцирь – ящур), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 410