Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/zola

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

Uncertain, formally identical to the root of Proto-Slavic *nazola (“anguish, spite”), *zoliti (“to irritate”), which seem akin to Lithuanian žalà (“damage, harm”), Latvian zàlba (“damage, wound, scar”) and Proto-Germanic *gallō (“gall, poison”). Both Derksen (explicitly) and Vasmer (implicitly) relate these terms with Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“to shine, to sprout (for vegetation)”), adding as a cognate Ancient Greek χολή (kholḗ, “bile”).

Alternatively, possibly related to Ancient Greek γελῶ (gelô, “glimmer”), Ancient Greek γαλήνος (galḗnos, “still, calm, serene”) from Proto-Indo-European *ǵelH-.

Georgiev also considers connection with Proto-Germanic *kulą (“coal”), Sanskrit ज्वलति (jvalati, “to blaze”) which however are from Proto-Indo-European *ǵwelH- (“to burn, to shine”) - formally incompatible with (proper) Proto-Slavic *zola.

Noun

*zolà f

1. muddy, murky water
2. ashes

   Synonym: *pepelъ

Inflection

Declension of *zolà (hard a-stem, accent paradigm c)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*zolà	*zȍlě	*zȍly
genitive	*zolý	*zolù	*zòlъ
dative	*zolě̀	*zolàma	*zolàmъ
accusative	*zȍlǫ	*zȍlě	*zȍly
instrumental	*zolojǫ́	*zolàma	*zolàmi
locative	*zȍlě	*zolù	*zolàsъ, *zolàxъ*
vocative	*zolo	*zȍlě	*zȍly

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.

Derived terms

• *zolavъ (“murky”)

Related terms

• *zelenъ (“green”) (possibly)
• *zolto (“gold”) (possibly)
• *zolkъ (“young, green vegetation”) (possibly)
• *zoliti (“to irritate”) (possibly)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: зала́ (zalá)
  • Russian: зола́ (zolá, “ashes”)
  • Ukrainian: зола́ (zolá, “ashes”)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: зола (zola)
    • → Romanian: zoale (“dirt”)
  • Bulgarian: зола́ (zolá) (dated)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: zola
  • Old Polish: zoła
  • Slovak: zola
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: zoła
    • Upper Sorbian: zoło
• → Romanian: zoaie (“dishwater, hogwash”) (possibly)

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “зола”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “зола”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 652