Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/zьlčь

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

Alternative reconstructions

• *žьlčь, *zlьčь

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *źulˀkis/*źulˀktis, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃-. Cognate with Lithuanian tulžìs (via metathesis), Latvian žul̂ts, žul̂kts f. Related to *zelenъ (“green”), *zoltъ (“golden”), with possible influence from *žьltъ.

For the semantic relation, compare Proto-Germanic *gallǭ (“gall”), Ancient Greek χολή (kholḗ, “bile”) from the same proto-root.

Noun

*zьlčь or *žь̑lčь f

1. bile

Declension

Declension of *zьlčь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*zьlčь	*zьlči	*zьlči
genitive	*zьlči	*zьlčьju, *zьlču*	*zьlčьjь, *zьlči*
dative	*zьlči	*zьlčьma	*zьlčьmъ
accusative	*zьlčь	*zьlči	*zьlči
instrumental	*zьlčьjǫ, *zьlčǫ*	*zьlčьma	*zьlčьmi
locative	*zьlči	*zьlčьju, *zьlču*	*zьlčьxъ
vocative	*zьlči	*zьlči	*zьlči

^* 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

• *zьlčьka (diminutive)
• *zьlčьnъ (related adjective)

Related terms

• *zolkъ (“young vegetation”)
• *zola (“ashes, dirt”) (possibly)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: зълчь (zŭlčĭ), жълчь (žŭlčĭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: жолчь (žolčʹ), золчь (zolčʹ), желчь (želčʹ)
      • Belarusian: жоўць (žoŭcʹ)
      • Old Ukrainian: жовчъ (žovč), жолчъ (žolč), желчъ (želč)
        • Carpathian Rusyn: жовч (žovč)
        • Ukrainian: жовч (žovč)
        • West Polesian: жовть (žovtʹ)
    • Russian: жёлчь (žolčʹ)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: зльчь (zlĭčĭ)

    Glagolitic script: ⰸⰾⱐⱍⱐ (zlĭčĭ)

    • Bulgarian: злъч (zlǎč)
    • Macedonian: жолч (žolč)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: жу̑ч

    Latin script: žȗč

  • Slovene: žȏłč (tonal orthography)
    • Rovte dialect (Črni vrh, Idrija): žȍu̯č
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: žlč
    • Czech: žluč
      • Bohemian (Chod dialect): zluč, žluč
      • Moravian (Mistřice): žuť
  • Old Polish: żółć
    • Polish: żółć
  • Slovak: žlč
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: žołč
    • Lower Sorbian: žołc

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “жёлчь”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “злъч”, in Български етимологичен речник (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 646