Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/kopьje

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

Probably form the root of *kopati (“to dig”) + *-ьje (augmentative suffix), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *kаpā́ˀtei, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kep- (“to strike, beat”). Trubačev suggests, more precisely, substantivation of a possible compound like *kopьje *dervo (“stabbing wood”).

Akin to Lithuanian kapoklė (“cleaver”), Ancient Greek κοπίς (kopís, “chopper”).

Noun

*kopьjè or *kȍpьje n

1. javelin, spear

Declension

Most languages reflect AP b, but Serbo-Croatian and Slovene also show AP c.

Declension of *kopьjè (soft o-stem, accent paradigm b)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*kopьjè	*kopь̀ji	*kopь̀ja
genitive	*kopьjà	*kopьju	*kopь̀jь
dative	*kopьjù	*kopьjema	*kopь̀jemъ
accusative	*kopьjè	*kopь̀ji	*kopь̀ja
instrumental	*kopьjь̀mь, *kopьjèmь*	*kopьjema	*kopь̀ji
locative	*kopьjì	*kopьju	*kopь̀jixъ
vocative	*kopьjè	*kopь̀ji	*kopь̀ja

^* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

Declension of *kȍpьje (soft o-stem, accent paradigm c)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*kȍpьje	*kȍpьji	*kopьjà
genitive	*kȍpьja	*kopьjù	*kopь̀jь
dative	*kȍpьju	*kopьjemà	*kopьjémъ
accusative	*kȍpьje	*kȍpьji	*kopьjà
instrumental	*kȍpьjьmь, *kȍpьjemь*	*kopьjemà	*kopьjí
locative	*kȍpьji	*kopьjù	*kopьjíxъ
vocative	*kȍpьje	*kȍpьji	*kopьjà

^* -ьmь in North Slavic, -emь in South Slavic.

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: кап'ё (kapʺjó)
  • Russian: копьё (kopʹjó)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: копиѥ (kopije)
  • Bulgarian: ко́пие (kópie)
  • Macedonian: копје (kopje)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ко̏пље, ко̀пље

    Latin: kȍplje, kòplje

  • Slovene: kọ́pje (tonal orthography), (archaic) kopjẹ̑
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: kopie
    • Czech: kopí
  • Polish: kopia
  • Slovak: kopija
  • Sorbian
    • Lower Sorbian: kopje
    • Upper Sorbian: kopjo

References

Further reading

• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1984), “*kopьje/*kopьja”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 11 (*konьcь – *kotьna(ja)), Moscow: Nauka, page 40
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1979), “копие¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 2 (и – крепя̀), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 616