Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/tьšča

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

Derived from *tьstь (“father-in-law”).

Noun

*tьšča f

1. mother-in-law

Declension

Declension of *tьšča (soft a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*tьšča	*tьšči	*tьščę̇
genitive	*tьščę̇	*tьšču	*tьščь
dative	*tьšči	*tьščama	*tьščamъ
accusative	*tьščǫ	*tьšči	*tьščę̇
instrumental	*tьščejǫ, *tьščǫ**	*tьščama	*tьščami
locative	*tьšči	*tьšču	*tьščasъ, *tьščaxъ*
vocative	*tьšče	*tьšči	*tьščę̇

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** 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).

See also

Proto-Slavic family terms

*sěmьja, *rodina (“family”)	Male	Female
parent	*otъ, *otьcь (“father”) nursery: *tata	*mati (“mother”) nursery: *mama
sibling	*bratrъ (“brother”)	*sestra (“sister”)
child	*synъ (“son”)	*dъťi (“daughter”)
grandparent	– (“grandfather”) nursery: *dědъ; *nana	*ova (“grandmother”) nursery: *baba; *nena
grandchild	*vъnukъ (“grandson”)	*vъnuka (“granddaughter”)
stepparent	*otьčimъ (“stepfather”)	*maťexa (“stepmother”)
stepchild	*pastorъkъ (“stepson”)	*pastorъka (“stepdaughter”)
father's sibling	*strъjь (“paternal uncle”) nursery: *dada; *lola	– (“paternal aunt”) nursery: *teta; *lelja
mother's sibling	*ujь (“maternal uncle”) nursery: *dada; *lola	– (“maternal aunt”) nursery: *teta; *lelja
sibling's child	*netьjь (“nephew”)	*nestera (“niece”)
spouse	*mǫžь (“husband”)	*žena (“wife”)
parent of wife	*tьstь (“father-in-law (wife's father)”)	*tьšča (“mother-in-law (wife's mother)”)
parent of husband	*svekrъ (“father-in-law (husband's father)”)	*svekry (“mother-in-law (husband's father)”)
sibling of wife	*šurь (“brother-in-law (wife's brother)”)	*svěstь, *svьstь (“sister-in-law (wife's sister)”)
sibling of husband	*děverь (“brother-in-law (husband's brother)”)	*zъly (“sister-in-law (husband's sister)”)
spouse of child	*zętь (“son-in-law (daughter's husband)”)	*snъxa (“daughter-in-law (son's wife)”)
spouse of husband's brother	–	*ętry (“sister-in-law (husband's brother's wife)”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: тьща (tĭšča)
    • Old Ruthenian: те́ща (téšča), те́сча (tésča), це́ща (céšča)
      • Belarusian: це́шча (cjéšča)
      • Ukrainian: те́ща (téšča)
    • Russian: тёща (tjóšča)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: тьща (tĭšta)

    Glagolitic script: [Term?]

    • Bulgarian: тъ́ща (tǎ́šta)
  • Macedonian: тешта (tešta)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: та̏шта

    Latin script: tȁšta

  • Slovene: tášča (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Polish: cieścia, ćcia, tcia, teścia, tścia

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “тёща”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress