Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/versъ

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 *werˀź-, *wirˀź- (whence Lithuanian vìržis (“heather”), Latvian vir̂zis (“heather”)), from an unknown non-Indo-European substrate source. Cognates include Proto-Celtic *wroikos and Ancient Greek ἐρείκη (ereíkē, “heather”).[1][2]

Pokorny suggests a connection to *vьrša (“fishing basket”), see also Ancient Greek ῥίμφα (rhímpha, “fast, quickly”).[3]

Noun

*vȇrsъ m[4]

heather

Declension

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*vȇrsъ	*vȇrsa	*vȇrsi
Accusative	*vȇrsъ	*vȇrsa	*vȇrsy
Genitive	*vȇrsa	*versù	*vẽrsъ
Locative	*vȇrsě	*versù	*versě̃xъ
Dative	*vȇrsu	*versomà	*versòmъ
Instrumental	vȇrsъmь, vȇrsomь^*	*versomà	*versý
Vocative	*verse	*vȇrsa	*vȇrsi

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

Alternative forms

*vȇrskъ

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Belarusian: ве́рас (vjéras)
- ⇒ Russian: ве́реск (véresk)
- Ukrainian: ве́рес (véres)
South Slavic:
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Latin: vrȇs
  Cyrillic: вре̑с
- Slovene: vrẹ̑s
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: vřěs
  - Czech: vřes
- Old Polish: wrzos
  - Polish: wrzos
- Slovak: vres
- Upper Sorbian: wrjós

References

Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἐρείκη”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 452
Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 431
Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 1154-55
Derksen, Rick (2008), “*vȇrsъ; *vȇrskъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 516: “m. o (c) ‘heather’”

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἐρείκη”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 452

[2] Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 431

[3] Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 1154-55

[4] Derksen, Rick (2008), “*vȇrsъ; *vȇrskъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 516: “m. o (c) ‘heather’”