Journal | Balcania et Slavia
Journal issue | 1 | 2 | 2021
Research Article | On Etymology of Proto-Slavic Word for ‘Wound’

On Etymology of Proto-Slavic Word for ‘Wound’

The paper is devoted to a critical analysis of the traditional etymology of the Proto-Slavic word with the meaning ‘wound’ (OCS ‘рана’ πληγή, μάστιξ; Bulgarian ‘ра́на’; Serbocroatian ‘ра̏на’, Russian ‘рана’ etc.). Researchers usually compare it to OInd. vraṇá- ‘wound, ulcer’ and Alb. varrë ‘wound’. It is demonstrated that this etymology is unacceptable from a formal point of view. Therefore, it is proposed to return to the idea of P. Persson who connected the Proto-Slavic ‘wound’ to the Proto-Indo-European root *h2erH- ‘to destroy’ and the following cognates in other branches of PIE: Hett. ḫarrai ‘grinds’; Toch. AB ār, pret. B āra ‘to stop, to cease’ and Proto-Slavic *oriti ‘to destroy, to ruin’. In this case the Proto-Slavic reconstruction is *őrna.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: Dec. 11, 2021 | Accepted: Jan. 11, 2022 | Published: Feb. 15, 2022 | Language: ru

Keywords Proto-Slavic Old Indian Cognate Albanian Schwebeablaut Etymology


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