Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/vъ(n)

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

PIE word
*h₁en

Either:

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *in, from the zero-grade *h₁n̥ of Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”).
Cognate with Lithuanian į, in (Eastern dialects), Old Prussian en.
From Proto-Balto-Slavic [Term?], from o-grade *h₁ón of Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”).
Cognate with Latvian iekša (ie-kša), Ancient Greek ἐν (en) / ἐνί (ení, “in, within”), Proto-Italic *en (“in”), Proto-Celtic *eni / *en (“in”), Proto-Germanic *in (“in”).

Often assumed to come from the zero-grade. However there are no secure examples of *n̥ > Balto-Slavic *un (other examples like *sъto (often considered to be an Iranian borrowing) are all riddled with difficulties and unreliable), and the o-grade *h₁ón can be posited instead. See also *mъnogъ, *vъnukъ, *vъnъ, *vъtorъ and *kъ(n), *gъnati, *gъrnъ, *gъrdlo, *kъrma, *dǫti/*dъmǫ.

Preposition

*vъ(n)

(+ locative) in, inside, within (stationary)
(+ accusative) in, into, inside (motion to)
(+ accusative) at (a moment in time)
(+ locative) in, during (a period of time)

Usage notes

Because of the law of open syllables, the final -n was normally dropped. But when combined with a stem that (originally?) began with a vowel, it was attached to the following word. (Example: *vъn *jejь > Bulgarian в нея "in her").

Antonyms

*jьz

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: въ (vŭ), у (u), и (i)
  - Old Ruthenian: въ (v)
    - Belarusian: у (u), ў (ŭ)
    - Rusyn: в (v), у (u)
    - Ukrainian: у (u), в (v)
  - Russian: в (v)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic: въ (vŭ)
- Bulgarian: в (v)
- Macedonian: во (vo)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic: у
  Latin: u
  - Chakavian: u, va
  - Kajkavian: v, vu
- Slovene: v
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: v
  - Czech: v
    - Bohemian (Chod dialect): v
- Slovak: v
- Old Polish: w
  - Polish: w
- Polabian: vå
- Sorbian:
  - Upper Sorbian: w
  - Lower Sorbian: w

References

Derksen, Rick (2008), “*vъ(n)”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 530
Anikin, A. E. (2011), “в, во”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 5 (буба – вакштаф), Moscow: Znak, →ISBN, page 304
Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “в”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. and suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress