< Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic
Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/modla
 | 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 Proto-Balto-Slavic *maldāˀ, equivalent to *modliti + *-a. Cognate with Lithuanian maldà (“prayer”), Old Prussian maddla (“prayer”).
Noun
*modla f
- idol
Inflection
Declension of *modla (hard a-stem)
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | *modla | *modlě | *modly |
| Accusative | *modlǫ | *modlě | *modly |
| Genitive | *modly | *modlu | *modlъ |
| Locative | *modlě | *modlu | *modlasъ, *modlaxъ* |
| Dative | *modlě | *modlama | *modlamъ |
| Instrumental | *modlojǫ, *modlǫ** | *modlama | *modlami |
| Vocative | *modlo | *modlě | *modly |
* -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).
** 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).
Related terms
- *modliti
Descendants
- West Slavic:
- Czech: modla
- Old Czech: modla
- Polish: modła
- Slovak: modla
- Czech: modla
References
- Derksen, Rick (2008), “*modla”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 320