< Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic

Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/mělь

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

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *(s)mēl-i-. Cognate with Lithuanian smė̃lis (“sand”), smėlỹs (“sand”), Latvian smēlis (“fine sand”), Old Norse melr (“sandbank”) (dialectal), Swedish smula (“chunk”) (dialectal). Related to *mělъkъ (“small, shallow”). Likely related to *melti (“to grind, mill”).

Noun

*mělь f[1][2]

  1. finely ground substance
  2. chalk
  3. sandbank

Usage notes

Apparently by Late Common Slavic times the two variants had started to diverge in meaning, with the feminine i-stem variant meaning "sand, sandbank" while the masculine o-stem variant meant "chalk, powder".

Declension
Declension of *mě̑lь (i-stem, accent paradigm c)
singular dual plural
nominative *mě̑lь *mě̑li *mě̑li
genitive *mělí *mělьjù, *měľu* *mělь̀jь
dative *mě̑li *mělьmà *mě̑lьmъ
accusative *mě̑lь *mě̑li *mě̑li
instrumental *mělьjǫ́ *mělьmà *mělьmì
locative *mělí *mělьjù, *měľu* *mě̑lьxъ
vocative *měli *mě̑li *mě̑li
* 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).

Alternative forms

Descendants
  • East Slavic:
    • Old East Slavic: мѣлъ (mělŭ)
  • South Slavic:
  • West Slavic:
    • Old Czech: měl m
    • Old Polish: miel f, miał m
      • Polish: miał m, mieł m (dialectal)
    • Sorbian:
      • Lower Sorbian: měł, měłny

References
  1. Derksen, Rick (2008) “*mělь; *mělъ”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 310: “f. i; m. o”
  2. Olander, Thomas (2001) “mělъ”, in Common Slavic Accentological Word List‎, Copenhagen: Editiones Olander: “c kalk, mel (PR 137)”
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