Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/gatъka

This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed words 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

Synchronically, equivalent to *gatati (“to tell, to guess”) +‎ *-ъka. Ultimately, perhaps a diminutive of Proto-Indo-European *g⁽ʷ⁾eh₃th₂ós (“proverb”) + *-ъka, cognate with Proto-Indo-Iranian *gaHtʰás (“hymn”).

Noun

*gatъka f

riddle, cryptic parable
Synonym: *zagadъka

Declension

Declension of *gatъka (hard a-stem)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*gatъka	*gatъcě	*gatъky
Accusative	*gatъkǫ	*gatъcě	*gatъky
Genitive	*gatъky	*gatъku	*gatъkъ
Locative	*gatъcě	*gatъku	gatъkasъ, gatъkaxъ^*
Dative	*gatъcě	*gatъkama	*gatъkamъ
Instrumental	gatъkojǫ, gatъkǫ^**	*gatъkama	*gatъkami
Vocative	*gatъko	*gatъcě	*gatъky

^* -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.
^** 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

*gatъkati (“to speak crypticly”)

Related terms

*gatanьje, *gatanъka (“riddle”) (verbal nouns)
*gatva (“proverb”) (East Slavic)

Descendants

South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic: гатъка (gatŭka) (Russian rendition)
  - → Old East Slavic: гатъками бесѣдовати (gatŭkami besědovati, “to converse in cryptic manner”) (XII cent.)
- Bulgarian: га́тка (gátka) (dialectal)
- Macedonian: гатка (gatka)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic: га̑тка, га̏тка
  Latin: gȃtka, gȁtka