Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/valъ

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

Probably convergence of two or more cognate terms, at least some of which reflect Proto-Balto-Slavic *wālás (o-stem) ~ *wālús (u-stem), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to revolve”). Cognate with Lithuanian võlas (“clump, rolling, large wave”), dial. Latvian vā̀ls, vâls (“descend”).

Some descendants have added/innovated (possibly in post proto-Slavic period) the meaning “barrage, wall” under the influence of akin Latin vallum, Proto-Germanic *wallą.

Noun

*vȃlъ m[1][2]

roll, slump, downturn
Synonym: *katъ
(by extension) wave, billow
(possibly deverbalial from *vaľati) roller, cylinder (tool/shape)
Synonym: *vaľakъ
(by extension, possibly post-Slavic) barrage, heap, dyke, embankment
Synonym: *sъpъ

Declension

Both o- and u-stem paradigms are attested, without clarity which meaning comes from which declension type:

Declension of *vȃlъ (hard o-stem, accent paradigm c)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*vȃlъ	*vȃla	*vȃli
Accusative	*vȃlъ	*vȃla	*vȃly
Genitive	*vȃla	*valù	*vãlъ
Locative	*vȃlě	*valù	*valě̃xъ
Dative	*vȃlu	*valomà	*valòmъ
Instrumental	vȃlъmь, vȃlomь^*	*valomà	*valý
Vocative	*vale	*vȃla	*vȃli

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Declension of *vȃlъ (u-stem, accent paradigm c)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*vȃlъ	*vȃly	*vȃlove
Accusative	*vȃlъ	*vȃly	*vȃly
Genitive	*vȃlu	*valovù	*valòvъ
Locative	*valú	*valovù	*vȃlъxъ
Dative	*vȃlovi	*valъmà	*vȃlъmъ
Instrumental	*vȃlъmь	*valъmà	*valъmì
Vocative	*valu	*vȃly	*vȃlove

Derived terms

*navalъ
*ob(ъ)valъ
*orzvalъ
*pervalъ
*povalъ
*provalъ
*sъvalъ
*zavalъ

Related terms

*valiti (“to fall, to tumble”), *vaľati (“to roll, to scend”)
- *valežь (“fall”)
- *valunъ (“boulder”)
*valovati (“to roll over, to undulate”)
*valъkъ (“cylindrical, rolled up”)
*vьlna (“wave”)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: валъ (valŭ)
  - Russian: вал (val)
  - Ukrainian: вал (val)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic: валъ (valŭ)
- Bulgarian: вал (val)
- Macedonian: вал (val)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic: ва̑л
  Latin: vȃl
- Slovene: vȃł (tonal orthography)
West Slavic:
- Czech: val
- Old Polish: wał
  - Polish: wał
- Slovak: val

Non-Slavic:
- → Romanian: val (“wave”)

References

Olander, Thomas (2001), “valъ valu”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “c (NA 127, 137; PR 137); d (RPT 99, 103)”
Snoj, Marko (2016), “val”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “Pslovan. *vȃlъ”