Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/pyrь

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Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/pyrь

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 1

Most likely a substantive i-stem derivative from the direct-case stem of Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ (“bonfire”), cognate with Old Prussian panno (“fire”) (derived from the oblique-case stem). Further origin is disputed. Commonly proposed etymologies include:

• From *paw- (“to strike”), whence Proto-Slavic *pyti (“to discern”), *pytati (“to examine, to request clarification”).
• From *puH- (“to rot”), whence Lithuanian pū́ti (“to rotten”), Latvian pũt (“to rotten”).
• From *pewH- (“to cleanse, to purify”), whence Latin pūrus (“pure”), pius (“devout”).

All of these roots may ultimately be w-extensions of Proto-Indo-European *(s)peh₂- (“to lash, to thrash, to wrench”) (reflected by Ancient Greek σπᾰ́ω (spáō, “to draw, to pluck”), etc.). Perhaps, from there is semi-onomatopoeic Proto-Slavic *patъ (“thump, smack”), *patati (“to bang”).

Noun

*py̑rь m[1]

1. remains of fire, smoldering ash, cinder

   Synonyms: *sędra, *žarъ

2. (by extension) lye, product of combustion

   Synonyms: *zola, *cědъ

Declension

Declension of *py̑rь (i-stem, accent paradigm c)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*py̑rь	*py̑ri	*py̑rьjē, *py̑řē*
Accusative	*py̑rь	*py̑ri	*py̑ri
Genitive	*pyrí	*pyrьjù, *pyřu*	*pyrь̀jь
Locative	*pyrí	*pyrьjù, *pyřu*	*py̑rьxъ
Dative	*py̑ri	*pyrьmà	*py̑rьmъ
Instrumental	*py̑rьmь	*pyrьmà	*pyrьmì
Vocative	*pyri	*py̑ri	*py̑rьjē, *py̑řē*

^* 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

• *pyriti (“to combust, to melt, to fan a fire”)
• >? *pyrovati (“to ferment”)
• *pyrьjь (substantivized noun)
  • → East Slavic:
    • Russian: пы́рей (pýrej, “part of furnace”) (dialectal)
    • Ukrainian: пире́й (pyréj, “cinder”)

Related terms

• *pylъ m, *pylь f (“dust, cinder”)

Descendants

• South Slavic:
  • >? Bulgarian: фир (fir), фур (fur, “acrid, bitter substance”) (dated, in modern times: slang for “booze”)
    • ⇒ пирива́ (pirivá, “acid soil”) (dialectal)
  • Slovene: pír (“smoldering fire”) (tonal orthography) (dialectal), pírh (“easter-egg coloured red”)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: pýř (“lye”)
  • Polish: perz (“smoke”) (obsolete), perzyna (“embers”)

Further reading

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

References

1. Snoj, Marko (2016), “perẹ́ti”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “pslovan. *pyrъ̏”

Etymology 2

Per Trubačev, probably resultant from an alternative semantic development of Etymology 1 stemming back from Proto-Indo-European times. As a reason, he gives the circumstance that spelt needed to be treated thermally in order to be used. Similar semantic duality is observed in Old English fȳr (“fire”) and fyrs (“furze”). For further details, see the o-stem variant *pyrъ.

Possibly akin (via ter-stem) to Proto-Balto-Slavic *putrāˀ (“ground corn, cereal”) (whence Latvian putra (“porridge”)) from one of the above mentioned roots.

Noun

*pỳrь m

1. Alternative form of *pyrъ: couch grass

Declension

Declension of *pyrь (i-stem, accent paradigm a)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*pyrь	*pỳri	*pỳrьjē, *pỳřē*
Accusative	*pyrь	*pỳri	*pỳri
Genitive	*pỳrī	*pỳrьju, *pỳřu*	*pỳrьjь, *pỳrī*
Locative	*pỳrī	*pỳrьju, *pỳřu*	*pỳrьxъ
Dative	*pỳri	*pỳrьma	*pỳrьmъ
Instrumental	*pỳrьmь	*pỳrьma	*pỳrьmī
Vocative	*pyri	*pỳri	*pỳrьjē, *pỳřē*

^* 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

• *pyrьjь (“id.”)

Descendants

• West Slavic:
  • Czech: pýř (“couch grass”) (o-stem pýr is more commonly attested)
  • Polish: perz (“couch grass”)
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: pyŕ
    • Lower Sorbian: pyŕ

Further reading

• Трубачёв, Олег Николаевич (a. 2002) Этногенез и культура древнейших славян (in Russian), Moscow: Наука, published 2003, →ISBN, pages 232–233, noting the identity of the meanings “fire remnants” and “spelt”.