Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/gavědь

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

Per Brückner, Mladenov, Trubačev: originally a collective noun from *gaviti (“to vex, to blemish”) +‎ *-ědь (doubted by Vasmer). Apparently, cognate with Lithuanian govėdà (“lots, multitude”), which is akin to góvija, góvėna (“mob, gang”) and likely gaujà (“pack”). Further origin uncertain. Proposals have been made for descent from Proto-Indo-European *gʷewH- (“to defecate”) or from the onomatopoeia Proto-Slavic *gavati (“to bark, to roar”).

Comparison has also been drawn to *govь, *govędo (“cattle”) and furthermore Lithuanian guõtas (“group, flock”). Per Lubotsky, perhaps all of them ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₃- (“to consume, to sustain”). If right, then possibly also related to Proto-Germanic *kudją (“herd, livestock”).

Noun

*gavědь f

1. disordered state

   → filth, dirt

   → (figurative) low behaviour, disgrace

2. disorganized group of people/animals (crowd, mob)

   → wild stock

   Antonym: *dobytъkъ

   → wild creature, beast

   Synonyms: *zvěrь, *dikъ, *gadina

Alternative forms

• *gavěda (ā-stem)

Declension

Declension of *gavědь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*gavědь	*gavědi	*gavědi
genitive	*gavědi	*gavědьju, *gavěďu*	*gavědьjь, *gavědi*
dative	*gavědi	*gavědьma	*gavědьmъ
accusative	*gavědь	*gavědi	*gavědi
instrumental	*gavědьjǫ, *gavěďǫ*	*gavědьma	*gavědьmi
locative	*gavědi	*gavědьju, *gavěďu*	*gavědьxъ
vocative	*gavědi	*gavědi	*gavědi

^* The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).

Some descendants have readjusted (probably diachronically) the gender of meaning “wild creature, beast” to masculine:

Declension of *gavědь (i-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*gavědь	*gavědi	*gavědьje, *gavěďe*
genitive	*gavědi	*gavědьju, *gavěďu*	*gavědьjь, *gavědi*
dative	*gavědi	*gavědьma	*gavědьmъ
accusative	*gavědь	*gavědi	*gavědi
instrumental	*gavědьmь	*gavědьma	*gavědьmi
locative	*gavědi	*gavědьju, *gavěďu*	*gavědьxъ
vocative	*gavědi	*gavědi	*gavědьje, *gavěďe*

^* The second form occurs in languages that contract early across /j/ (e.g. Czech), while the first form occurs in languages that do not (e.g. Russian).

Derived terms

• *gavědьňа, *gavědina (augmentative)

Related terms

• *gaviti, *ogaviti (“to vex”)
  • *gavezъ/*gavežь (“mob, rabble”)
  • *ogava (“dread, hideosity”), *ogavьje (“nuisance, poignancy”)
• *gavati (“to bark, to croak, to roar”) (possibly)
  • *gava, *gavъka (“crow”)
• *gavęzъ (“type of flower”) (possibly)
• *govьno (“turd”) (possibly)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: га́віда (hávida, “mob, pack”) (dialectal)
  • Russian: га́ведь (gávedʹ); (dialectal) га́веда (gáveda), гавяда́ (gavjadá)
  • Ukrainian: га́веда (háveda, “nest of parasites, bugs”) (dialectal)
    • ⇒ Ukrainian: га́ведня (hávednja, “scum, filth”)
• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: га́вед f (gáved, “wild stock”), га́вед m (gáved, “creep, beast”) (dialectal)
  • Macedonian: гавет m (gavet) (dialectal)
  • Serbo-Croatian: га̏ве̄д (dialectal, Serbian)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: havěď f (“nuisance, pest; domestic bird”), havjeď m (“fierce creature, brute”)
  • Polish: gawiedź
  • Slovak: háveď

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1979), “*gavěda/*gavědъ/*gavědь”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 6 (*e – *golva), Moscow: Nauka, page 110
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “гаведь”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “гавед”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 221
• “gauja”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012
• “guotas”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012