Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/čьrtъ

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

Unclear. Usually two theories are proposed:

Past passive participle of unattested verb (nouns: *čarъ, *čara (“magic, sorcery”)) that is the exact equivalent of the Lithuanian kerė́ti (“to bewitch”). This etymology is supported by analogies, cf. *vȏrgъ (“foe, enemy; evil spirit”) > *voržiti (“to divine”). Cognate with Sanskrit कृत्या (kṛtyā, “female demon, sorceress”).
Past passive participle of *čerti (“to cut”). This etymology is supported by the fact that in many beliefs, evil spirits were often mutilated, cf. Polish kusy (“devil”), Bulgarian къ́с (kǎ́s, “devil”) from Proto-Slavic *kǫsъ (“bitten off; short; tailless”). Relation with *čьrta, *čara (“line”), *čersti, *čьrtiti (“to cut”) is also possible.

Other propositions include:

Berneker: past passive participle of unattested verb that is the exact equivalent of the Lithuanian kyrė́ti (“to take revenge”) from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, to cross”) (or *ker- (“to assault”)) with literal meaning “avenger”. Bezlaj derives it from the same root, but through a different semantic shift: “astride, askew” → “evil, treacherous”.
From Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerH- (“to swing, to skip, to jump”) though a semantic development “quick” → “scary, freakish”.
Marr connected it to Georgian ჭორტი (č̣orṭi, “stone statue”).

Modern descendants are sometimes associated through folk etymology with (descendants of) Proto-Slavic *čьrnъ (“black”).

Noun

*čь̑rtъ m[1][2][3][4]

demon, devil, evil creature
Synonym: *běsъ
(possibly) enemy, foe[2]
Synonym: *vorgъ

Inflection

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

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*čь̑rtъ	*čь̑rta	*čь̑rti
Accusative	*čь̑rtъ	*čь̑rta	*čь̑rty
Genitive	*čь̑rta	*čьrtù	*čь̃rtъ
Locative	*čь̑rtě	*čьrtù	*čьrtě̃xъ
Dative	*čь̑rtu	*čьrtomà	*čьrtòmъ
Instrumental	čь̑rtъmь, čь̑rtomь^*	*čьrtomà	*čьrtý
Vocative	*čьrte	*čь̑rta	*čь̑rti

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

Derived terms

*čьrtiti, *čьrtovati (“to carouse, to do evil”)
*čьrtьcь (diminutives)
*čьrtovъ, *čьrtьjь (relative adjectives)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: чортъ (čortŭ)
  - Belarusian: чорт (čort)
  - Russian: чёрт (čort)
    - → Bulgarian: чорт (čort)
    - → Polish: czort
  - Ukrainian: чорт (čort)
South Slavic:
- Slovene: čȓt (“hostile spirit; animosity”)
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: črt
  - Czech: čert
    - → Polish: czert
    - Moravian (Mistřice): čert
- Kashubian: czart
- Polish: czart
- Slovak: čert
- Slovincian: čãrṭ
- Sorbian:
  - Lower Sorbian: cart; cert (dialectal)
  - Upper Sorbian: čert

Non-Slavic:
- → Lithuanian: čartas, čertas

References

Olander, Thomas (2001), “čьrtъ”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “c djævel (PR 137)”
Snoj, Marko (2016), “črtiti”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “izpeljano iz *čь̑rtъ ‛vrag’”
- Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1977), “*čьrtъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 4 (*čaběniti – *děl’a), Moscow: Nauka, page 164
Sławski, Franciszek, editor (1976), “cŕ̥tъ”, in Słownik prasłowiański [Proto-Slavic Dictionary] (in Polish), volume 2 (caca – davьnota), Wrocław: National Ossoliński Institute, page 256

[1] Olander, Thomas (2001), “čьrtъ”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “c djævel (PR 137)”

[Snoj-2] Snoj, Marko (2016), “črtiti”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “izpeljano iz *čь̑rtъ ‛vrag’”

[3] Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1977), “*čьrtъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 4 (*čaběniti – *děl’a), Moscow: Nauka, page 164

[4] Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1977), “*čьrtъ”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages] (in Russian), volume 4 (*čaběniti – *děl’a), Moscow: Nauka, page 164

[4] Sławski, Franciszek, editor (1976), “cŕ̥tъ”, in Słownik prasłowiański [Proto-Slavic Dictionary] (in Polish), volume 2 (caca – davьnota), Wrocław: National Ossoliński Institute, page 256