Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/kaša

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

From an earlier *kasja, traditionally posited to be related to Lithuanian kóšti (“to filter, strain”), kõšė (“porridge”); Latvian kãst (“to leach”) (first proposed by Zubatý). Trubačev argues that the modern attested meaning developed from initial “ground cereal”[1]. Compare analogous developments in Proto-Germanic *grūtiz (“groats”) (from *greutaną (“to grind”)), Russian се́чка (séčka, “grist cereal”) (from сечь (sečʹ, “to chop”)).

Further origin disputed:

An old interpretation due to Potebnja (effectively) suggests origin from Proto-Indo-European *kes- (“to scrape, to mow”) (whence Proto-Slavic *česati (“to scratch”), *kosati (“to beat”)), which is formally incompatable with the accentology of *kàša. Rejected by Vasmer, however, compare Polabian ťösör (“groats”) (< *kosorь).
Iljinsky alternatively suggests possible relation to Proto-Slavic *kvasъ (“leaven”), region. *kvaša (whence Russian, Ukrainian ква́ша (kváša, “sour broth”)), *kyša (“slush”) ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kweh₂t(H)- (“to boil, to leaven”). Semantic aspect doubted by Trubačev.
Būga compares Lithuanian kóšti with Latvian kuôšs (“clear, transparent, fine, delicate, beautiful”) (modern košs) but Endzelīns rejects it, claiming instead kinship of the Latvian adjective to Old Prussian kanxta (“fine, descent”).[2]

In the past, comparison had been further drawn to Ancient Greek κόσκινον (kóskinon, “sieve”), Sanskrit कषति (kaṣati, “scratch”), both refuted by Vasmer.

Noun

*kàša f[3][4]

(perhaps originally[1]) ground cereal
Synonyms: *melivo, *krupa
porridge, gruel, mush

Declension

Declension of *kaša (soft a-stem, accent paradigm a)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*kaša	*kàši	*kàšę̇
Accusative	*kàšǫ	*kàši	*kàšę̇
Genitive	*kàšę̇	*kàšu	*kàšь
Locative	*kàšī	*kàšu	*kàšāsъ
Dative	*kàšī	*kàšama	*kàšāmъ
Instrumental	kàšējǫ, kàšǭ^*	*kàšama	*kàšāmī
Vocative	*kàše	*kàši	*kàšę̇

^* 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

*kašica, *kašьka (diminutive)
*kašьnъ (“pertaining to porridge”)
*kašavъ, *kašęstъ (“mushy”)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: каша (kaša, “cereal meal”)
  - Belarusian: ка́ша (káša)
  - Russian: ка́ша (káša)
  - Ukrainian: ка́ша (káša)
South Slavic:
- Bulgarian: ка́ша (káša)
- Macedonian: каша (kaša)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic: ка̏ша
  Latin: kȁša
- Slovene: káša (tonal orthography)
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: kašě
  - Czech: kaše
- Polish: kasza
- Slovak: kaša

Non-Slavic:
- → Hungarian: kása
- → Romanian: cașă
- → Old Norse: káza

References

Trubačev, Oleg (1960), “Из истории названий каш в славянских языках”, in Slavia 29, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
Fraenkel, Ernst (1955, 1962–1965), “košti”, in Litauisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume I–II, Heidelberg-Göttingen: Carl Winter and Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
Olander, Thomas (2001), “kaša”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “a (PR 132; RPT 107, 110)”
Snoj, Marko (2016), “kaša”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “Pslovan. *ka̋s'a”

[Trubachev_1960-1] Trubačev, Oleg (1960), “Из истории названий каш в славянских языках”, in Slavia 29, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences

[2] Fraenkel, Ernst (1955, 1962–1965), “košti”, in Litauisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume I–II, Heidelberg-Göttingen: Carl Winter and Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

[3] Olander, Thomas (2001), “kaša”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “a (PR 132; RPT 107, 110)”

[4] Snoj, Marko (2016), “kaša”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “Pslovan. *ka̋s'a”