Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/mьstь

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

Alternative reconstructions

*mьsta

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Indo-European *meytH- / *meyth₂- (“to exchange, swap, replace”), a root extension of *mey- (“to change, to exchange”). By surface analysis, **misti (“to exchange? / return?”) +‎ *-tь (compare *čьstь : *čisti) or **mьstъ (“mutual?”) +‎ *-ь.

Related to Latvian mît (“to change”) (1sg. miju), Sanskrit मेथति (méthati, “to alternate”), मिथति (mitháti, “to alternate”), Avestan 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬀‎ (miθa, “false”), 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬡𐬀‎ (miθβa, “paired”), 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬡𐬀𐬥𐬀‎ (miθβana, “paired”), Ancient Greek μοῖτος (moîtos, “reward, thanks”), Latin mūtō (“to change”), mūtuus (“mutual, reciprocal”), Old Irish mis-, mith- (“wrong”), Old Norse missa (“loss, damage”), Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍃𐍉 (missō, “each other”), English mis- < Proto-Germanic *missa- < *mitto (“mutual, reciprocal”).

Noun

*mьstь f

revenge, vengeance

Inflection

Declension of *mьstь (i-stem)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*mьstь	*mьsti	*mьsti
Accusative	*mьstь	*mьsti	*mьsti
Genitive	*mьsti	mьstьju, mьsťu^*	mьstьjь, mьsti^*
Locative	*mьsti	mьstьju, mьsťu^*	*mьstьxъ
Dative	*mьsti	*mьstьma	*mьstьmъ
Instrumental	mьstьjǫ, mьsťǫ^*	*mьstьma	*mьstьmi
Vocative	*mьsti	*mьsti	*mьsti

^* 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

*mьzda
*mijati
*mitě (“in turn, alternately”)
*mitusь (“opposite one another”)
*mitva (“in turn, alternately?”)

Derived terms

*mьstiti (“to avenge”)
- *mьstiteľь
- *mьstivъ
*mьstьnъ
- *mьstьnikъ

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: мьсть (mĭstĭ), месть (mestĭ), мьсто (mĭsto)
  - Russian: месть (mestʹ)
  - Ukrainian: месть (mestʹ)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic:
  Old Cyrillic: мьсть (mĭstĭ)
- Bulgarian: мъст (mǎst)
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: msta
  - Czech: msta
    - ⇒ Czech: pomsta
- Polish: msta
  - ⇒ Polish: pomsta, zemsta
- Slovak: mstva
  - ⇒ Slovak: pomsta
- Slovincian: msta
- Sorbian:
  - Lower Sorbian: msta