< Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic
Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/mědь
 | 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
Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *smiþaz, Ancient Greek σμῑ́λη (smī́lē), Proto-Celtic *mēnis, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₁y- (“to mince, to twist”). Bernecker conjectures a possible relation between the Slavic term and Hittite [script needed] (miti-, “reddish”). The later may be the origin[1] of the name of the mythical King Μίδας (Mídas) (of Phrygian origin) who, according to the legend, was cursed to transform any object he touched into gold. Possibly cognate with "medъ"
Noun
*mě̀dь f[2][3]
- copper
Declension
Declension of *mě̀dь (i-stem, accent paradigm a)
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | *mě̀dь | *mě̀di | *mě̀di |
| Accusative | *mě̀dь | *mě̀di | *mě̀di |
| Genitive | *mě̀dī | *mě̀dьju, *mě̀ďu* | *mě̀dьjь, *mě̀dī* |
| Locative | *mě̀dī | *mě̀dьju, *mě̀ďu* | *mě̀dьxъ |
| Dative | *mě̀di | *mě̀dьma | *mě̀dьmъ |
| Instrumental | *mě̀dьjǫ, *mě̀ďǭ* | *mě̀dьma | *mě̀dьmī |
| Vocative | *mědi | *mě̀di | *mě̀di |
* 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
- *smědovъ (“brown, hazel”) (probably)
Descendants
- East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: мѣдь (mědĭ)
- Belarusian: медзь (mjedzʹ)
- Russian: медь (medʹ)
- Rusyn: мідь (midʹ)
- Ukrainian: мідь (midʹ)
- Old East Slavic: мѣдь (mědĭ)
- South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic:
- Cyrillic: мѣдь (mědĭ)
- Glagolitic: ⰿⱑⰴⱐ (mědĭ)
- Bulgarian: мед (med)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: мје̏д, ме̏д
- Latin: mjȅd, mȅd
- Slovene: mẹ̑d (tonal orthography)
- Old Church Slavonic:
- West Slavic:
- Old Czech: měd
- Czech: měď
- Polish: miedź
- Slovak: meď
- Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: měź
- Upper Sorbian: mjedź
- Old Czech: měd
Further reading
- Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “медь”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. and suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress
- Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1992), “*mědь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), issue 18 (*matoga – *mękyšьka), Moscow: Nauka, →ISBN, page 144
- Georgiev V. I., editor (1986), “мед²”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3, Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 709
References
- Brendan Burke (2002), “Anatolian Origins of the Gordian Knot Legend”, in Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 42, pages 255–261
- Derksen, Rick (2008), “*mě̀dъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 309: “f. i (a) ‘copper’”
- Olander, Thomas (2001), “mědь mědi, L.sg. mědi”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “a (SA 137, 188, 199; PR 132; MP 16)”