Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/xoměstorъ

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

European hamster

Etymology

Uncertain:

Borrowed from Old Iranian[1] or Scythian *hamaistar-[2], from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meyt- (“to throw”)[3]. Related to Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬨𐬀𐬉𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬭-‎ (hamaēstar-, “who throws down; enemy”). For the meaning, compare Shor ырлақ (yrlak, “hamster”) : ыр- (yr-, “to be hostile”)[4].
From compound *xomě-storъ:
- Per Berneker[5], *-storъ is related to Lithuanian stãras (“suslik”).
- Per Brückner[6]: *xom- is onomatopoeic, *-storъ is unclear. Related to Polish skomleć (“to howl, yelp”), Church Slavonic скомати (skomati, “sigh, groan”)[7].
- Per Sławski, ESSJa: **xomě (“couple bags”) +‎ *sterti (“to pour, sprinkle; to spread, extend, stretch out”) +‎ *-ъ, literally “who pours (grain) into (both) bags”. Related to *skomiti (“squeeze, clench”) and *prostorъ.
- Per Chernykh[8]: if not borrowing, Old East Slavic хомѣкъ (xoměkŭ) is related to *ščemiti / *ščьmiti, *oskomina, *xomǫtъ, *komъ, Ancient Greek χαμαίστρωτος (khamaístrōtos, “stretched on the ground”).
- Compare onomatopoeic hamster name: Serbo-Croatian hŕčak < *xъrčьkъ < *xъrčati, *xъrkati, Czech křeček, Old Czech křěč, Old Polish krzeczek, skrzeczek < *krečьkъ, *krečь < *krečati, *krekati.
- Compare some hamster sounds[9][10][11].
- Compare onomatopoeic *kem- name: *komarъ (“mosquito”), *čьmeľь (“bumblebee”).
- See also *čęstъ : Lithuanian kim̃šti (“to stuff, fill”), *žęti, *skǫpъ.
Per Ильинскій[12]: from **xoměstati +‎ *-orъ, from blend of **xomězati and *xomotati, from onomatopoeia. Related to Moravian chomtat (“eat greedily”), Russian ха́мкать (xámkatʹ, “to eat”).
Per Мурьянов[13], Slavic and German are borrowed from Latin *chomestor, variant of comestor (“glutton”).

Notable hamster properties:

Damaging plants (Russian враг (vrag)[14])[15][16][17][18]
Stealing and hoarding (Russian обжора (obžora), воришка (voriška)[19], жадный (žadnyj); German hamstern (“to hoard”), Dutch hamsteren, Swedish hamstra, Polish chomikować, Czech křečkovat)[20][21][22]
Capacious cheek pouches[23][24][25]
Bellicose, pugnacious (Russian агрессивный (agressivnyj, “aggressive”)[26])[27][28][29]
Nice appearance (Russian красивый (krasivyj), милый (milyj))
Other: English German rat (“hamster”), Russian хомя́к (xomják, “hamster; rat; sluggish person”), хомячить (xomjačitʹ, “to crush, squeeze”).

Noun

*xoměstorъ m

hamster
Synonym: *xъrčьkъ

Declension

Declension of *xoměstorъ (hard o-stem)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*xoměstorъ	*xoměstora	*xoměstori
Accusative	*xoměstorъ	*xoměstora	*xoměstory
Genitive	*xoměstora	*xoměstoru	*xoměstorъ
Locative	*xoměstorě	*xoměstoru	*xoměstorěxъ
Dative	*xoměstoru	*xoměstoroma	*xoměstoromъ
Instrumental	xoměstorъmь, xoměstoromь^*	*xoměstoroma	*xoměstory
Vocative	*xoměstore	*xoměstora	*xoměstori

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

Derived terms

*xoměkъ (“hamster”) (diminutive)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: хомѣсторъ (xoměstorŭ), хомѣстаръ (xoměstarŭ)
  - → Old Saxon: hamustra
  - → Old High German: hamastra, hamustro
    - Middle High German: hamster
      - German: Hamster
        → Catalan: hàmster
        → English: hamster, hampster
        → Japanese: ハムスター (hamusutā)
        → Korean: 햄스터 (haemseuteo)
        → Tagalog: hamster
        → Thai: แฮมสเตอร์ (hɛms-dtə̂ə)
        → Turkish: hamster
        → Danish: hamster
        → Dutch: hamster
        → Papiamentu: hamster
        → French: hamster
        → Luxembourgish: Hamster
        → Norwegian Bokmål: hamster
        → Norwegian Nynorsk: hamster
        → Portuguese: hamster
        → Romanian: hamster
        → Swedish: hamster
→ Lithuanian: kãmas (“rat”), stãras (“suslik”) (possibly)
→ Latvian: kāmis (“hamster”) (possibly)

References

Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “хомя́к”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. and suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress
Шапошников, А. К. (2007), “Сарматские и туранские языковые реликты северного причерноморья”, in Этимология 2003‒2005, Moscow, page 269
Pokorny, Julius (1959) Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 968
Radloff, Friedrich Wilhelm (1893), “ырлаk”, in Opyt slovarja tjurkskix narěčij – Versuch eines Wörterbuches der Türk-Dialecte [Attempt at a Lexicon of the Turkic Dialects] (in German and Russian), volume I, Saint Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, column 1372
Berneker, Erich (1908–1913), “choměstorъ”, in Slavisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter's Universitätsbuchhandlung, page 395
Brückner, Aleksander (1927), “chomik”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish), Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna
Franz Miklosich (1862–1865), “скомати”, in Lexicon Palaeoslovenico-Graeco-Latinum emendatum auctum, Vienna: Guilelmus Braumueller, page 846
Chernykh, P. (1993), “хомя́к”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), volume 2 (панцирь – ящур), 3rd edition, Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 350
Дикий Хомяк, Eungi Luis, 2018.01.17, 1:13 from the start
Feldhamster-Revierkampf, TheFeldhamster, 2012.09.28
Hamster Sound Effects (Real Hamster Sound Effects) Hamster Squeaking Sound, Sound Warehouse, 2019.07.23
Ильинскій, Г. А. (1912), “Суффиксъ oz/ez/ъ въ славянскихъ языкахъ”, in Извѣстія Отдѣленія русскаго языка и словесности Императорской Академіи Наукъ, volume 16:4, Санктпетербургъ: Типографія Императорской Академіи Наукъ, page 6
Мурьянов, М. Ф. (1985), “К интерпретации др.-рус. хомѣсторъ”, in Этимология 1983, Moscow, page 105
Отлов диких хомяков на даче!!!, Денис Морковкин, 2020.05.18
Мой опыт борьбы с карбышем, Люба Цаплина, 2022.01.27
Feldhamster erntet im Gemüsebeet, xyt120, 2020.05.23
Feldhamster: Nach der Ernte in Gefahr - Teil 3/5, Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung, 2018.12.28
Дикий хомяк 2 (Cricetus cricetus), kovilit, 2015.08.12
Садовод прогнал воришку, 32ba155ae4a9, 2019.08.30
карбыш (хомяк) сожрал всю морковь, ИВАН-ХЛЕБ, 2019.06.29
Feldhamster: Nur mit Vorrat durch den Winterschlaf - Teil 5/5, Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung, 2018.12.28
Feldhamster: Leerer Acker - leerer Bauch - Teil 4/5, Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung, 2018.12.28, 0:15 from the start
Chomikujący Chomik europejski/Cricetus cricetus, Ptaki w ukrytej kamerze, 2020.10.22
THIS Is How Hamsters Fit So Much Food Inside Their Cheeks! | Pets: Wild At Heart | BBC Earth, BBC Earth, 2020.03.26: “Syrian hamster”
Feldhamster hamstert sich einen Apfel., Birxl, 2009.06.30
Злющий и агрессивный дикий хомяк. mad hamster., Чеснок На Кубани, 2020.04.23
Дикий хомяк 2016 05 07, Summer snow, 2016.05.08, 0:21
Chomik europejski- Lubelszczyzna, Piotr Tomas, 2019.09.17
Klingonischer Kampfhamster, ReverendHerb, 2013.03.22, 0:06