Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/želězo

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

Likely of Proto-Balto-Slavic origin, related to Lithuanian geležìs, Latvian dzèlzs and Old Prussian gelso, with no clear cognates in other Indo-European branches. The discrepancy of root vocalism between Slavic and Baltic is problematic and requires two different Proto-Balto-Slavic reconstructions, with short -*e- and long -*ē-. Thus, no common form can be reconstructed. Latvian and Old Prussian have syncopated the suffixal -e-.

Has been compared with Ancient Greek χαλκός (khalkós, “ore, copper, bronze”), but the connection cannot be established in terms of regular phonetic correspondences. However, both could be independent loanwords from a common eastern source, whence also possibly Hittite [script needed] ((ḫ)apalki, “iron”). Possibly related to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *qhleks (“(cast) iron”), though the direction and exact details of the borrowing are obscure.

Semantically also close to Latin galēna (“lead sulphide (mineral)”), Ancient Greek γαλήνη (galḗnē, “serenity, calmness; type of metal mineral”)[1], possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ǵl̥h₂-es- (“glimmering, cheerful”).

Noun

*želě̀zo n[2][3][4]

iron

Alternative forms

*želьzo
*zelězo

Inflection

Declension of *želě̀zo (hard o-stem, accent paradigm a)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*želě̀zo	*želě̀zě	*želě̀za
Accusative	*želě̀zo	*želě̀zě	*želě̀za
Genitive	*želě̀za	*želě̀zu	*želě̀zъ
Locative	*želě̀zě	*želě̀zu	*želě̀zě̄xъ
Dative	*želě̀zu	*želě̀zoma	*želě̀zomъ
Instrumental	želě̀zъmь, želě̀zomь^*	*želě̀zoma	*želě̀zȳ
Vocative	*želě̀zo	*želě̀zě	*želě̀za

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

Derived terms

*želězьnъ (“irony”)

Related terms

*glazъ (“glass ball, pebble”) (possibly)
*žely (“tortoise”) (possibly, per Trubachev)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: желѣзо (želězo), железо (železo), жельзо (želĭzo)
  - Belarusian: жале́за (žaljéza)
  - Russian: желе́зо (želézo); зеле́зо (zelézo), зяле́зо (zjalézo) (dialectal)
  - Rusyn: желїзо (željizo)
  - Old Ukrainian: желѣзо (želězo)
    - Ukrainian: залі́зо (zalízo)
South Slavic:
- Old Church Slavonic:
  Cyrillic: желѣзо (želězo)
  Glagolitic: ⰶⰵⰾⱑⰸⱁ (želězo)
- Bulgarian: желя́зо (željázo); джелязо (dželjazo) (dialectal)
- Macedonian: же́лезо (žélezo)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic: жѐљезо, жѐлезо
  Latin: žèljezo, žèlezo
- Slovene: želẹ́zo (tonal orthography)
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: železo
  - Czech: železo
- Kashubian: żelazło
- Polabian: ziľozü
- Polish: żelazo
- Slovak: železo
- Sorbian:
  - Lower Sorbian: zelezo
  - Upper Sorbian: železo

References

Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “γαλήνη”, 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 257
Derksen, Rick (2008), “*želě̀zo”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 555
Olander, Thomas (2001), “želězo, G. želěza”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “a (SA 73, 155; PR 132)”
Snoj, Marko (2016), “želẹ́zo”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “*želě̋zo”

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “γαλήνη”, 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 257

[2] Derksen, Rick (2008), “*želě̀zo”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 555

[3] Olander, Thomas (2001), “želězo, G. želěza”, in Common Slavic accentological word list, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “a (SA 73, 155; PR 132)”

[4] Snoj, Marko (2016), “želẹ́zo”, in Slovenski etimološki slovar³ (in Slovene), https://fran.si: “*želě̋zo”