Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/(j)ęčьmy

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

Unknown. Sometimes linked to Proto-Indo-European *h₂enk- (“to bend”) (see *ǫkotь (“hook”)),[1] but the semantics are dubious. Alternatively, to Ancient Greek ἀκοστή (akostḗ, “barley”), Latin acus (“bran; awn”), Old English ēar (“ear of grain”), Gothic 𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌰 (ahana, “awn; chaff”), Tocharian B āk (“ear, awn”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp, pointed; awn”),[2] though Beekes rejects the Greek connection.[3] This suffers phonetic problems, namely that *č is unexpected and the nasal vowel would be unexplained. A third possibility is substrate origin, like many other agricultural terms in Indo-European.

Noun

*(j)ęčьmy m[1]

barley

Inflection

Declension of *(j)ęčьmy (n-stem)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*(j)ęčьmy	*(j)ęčьmeni	*(j)ęčьmene
Accusative	*(j)ęčьmenь	*(j)ęčьmeni	*(j)ęčьmeni
Genitive	*(j)ęčьmene	*(j)ęčьmenu	*(j)ęčьmenъ
Locative	*(j)ęčьmene	*(j)ęčьmenu	*(j)ęčьmenьxъ
Dative	*(j)ęčьmeni	*(j)ęčьmenьma	*(j)ęčьmenьmъ
Instrumental	*(j)ęčьmenьmь	*(j)ęčьmenьma	*(j)ęčьmenьmi
Vocative	*(j)ęčьmy	*(j)ęčьmeni	*(j)ęčьmene

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: ꙗчьмꙑ (jačĭmy), ꙗчьмень (jačĭmenĭ)
  - Belarusian: ячме́нь (jačmjénʹ)
  - Russian: ячме́нь (jačménʹ)
  - Old Ukrainian: ячмень (jačmenʹ)
    - Ukrainian: ячмі́нь (jačmínʹ)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic:
  Old Cyrillic: ѩчьнѣнъ (jęčĭněnŭ)
  Glagolitic: ⱗⱍⱐⱀⱑⱏ (jęčĭněŭ)
- ⇒ Bulgarian: ечеми́к (ečemík)
- Macedonian: јачмен (jačmen)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Serbo-Croatian: јѐчам, [Term?], [Term?]
  Serbo-Croatian: jèčam, jȅčmēn, jȁčmen
  - Chakavian (Orbanići): jȁčmik
  - Chakavian (Vrgada): jȁčmer
- Slovene: jéčmen
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: jěčmen
  - Czech: ječmen
- Kashubian: jiczmë
- Polabian: jącmin
- Polish: jęczmień
- Slovak: jačmeň
- Sorbian:
  - Lower Sorbian: jacmjeń
  - Upper Sorbian: ječmjeń

References

Derksen, Rick (2008), “*ęčьmy”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 156–157: “m. n ‘barley’”
Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “ячме́нь”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. and suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἀκοστή”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 55

[Derksen-1] Derksen, Rick (2008), “*ęčьmy”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 156–157: “m. n ‘barley’”

[2] Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “ячме́нь”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. and suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress

[3] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἀκοστή”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 55