Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/xrьbьtъ

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

Equivalent to the 0-grade of *xribъ (“hill”) +‎ *-ьtъ, likely from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- (“to scrape, to tear”). Akin to Lithuanian skriẽbti (“to rub, to scrub”), Proto-Germanic *hrībaną (“to scratch”), Proto-Italic *skreiβō (“to scribe”).

ESSJa draws comparison with Proto-Slavic *skrebti (“to scrape”) (from Proto-Indo-European *skreb-), suggesting that *xrьbьtъ and its cognates represent expressive enlargement ("экспрессивное преобразование" in Trubachyev's own words) of the former root.

Noun

*xrьbьtъ m

1. back, spine

   Synonym: *gъrbъ

2. ridge

   Synonyms: *xridъ, *bьrdo

Alternative forms

• *xribьtъ
• dial. *xribьcь

Declension

Declension of *xrьbь̀tъ (hard o-stem, accent paradigm b)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*xrьbь̀tъ	*xrьbьtà	*xrьbьtì
genitive	*xrьbьtà	*xrьbьtù	*xrьbь̀tъ
dative	*xrьbьtù	*xrьbьtòma	*xrьbьtòmъ
accusative	*xrьbь̀tъ	*xrьbьtà	*xrьbьtỳ
instrumental	*xrьbьtъ̀mь, *xrьbьtòmь*	*xrьbьtòma	*xrьbь̀ty
locative	*xrьbьtě̀	*xrьbьtù	*xrьbь̀těxъ
vocative	*xrьbьte	*xrьbьtà	*xrьbьtì

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Related terms

• *uščьrbъ (“damage, defect”)
• *skъrbь (“starch, sorrow”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: хрыбе́т (xrybjét)
  • Russian: хребе́т (xrebét)
  • Carpathian Rusyn: хырбет (xŷrbet)
  • Ukrainian: хребе́т (xrebét)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: хрьбьтъ (xrĭbĭtŭ)
    • Bulgarian: хръбе́т (hrǎbét)
  • Macedonian: ’рбет (’rbet)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: хр̏бат

    Latin script: hȑbat

  • Slovene: hrbet
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: chřbet
    • Czech: hřbet
  • Kashubian: chrzëbt, chrzebiet, krzebt
  • Old Polish: chrzbiet, chrzebiet, chrzebt, chrzybiet, grzebiet, grzebt, krzebiet, krzebt
    • Polish: grzbiet
    • Silesian: rzbiet
  • Slovak: chrbát
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: chribjet
    • Lower Sorbian: kśebjat

References

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “хребе́т”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1981), “*xribьtъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 8 (*xa – *jьvьlga), Moscow: Nauka, page 96
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1981), “*xrьbьtъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 8 (*xa – *jьvьlga), Moscow: Nauka, page 107