Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/valъ

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 convergence of two or more cognate terms, at least some of which reflect Proto-Balto-Slavic *wālás (o-stem) ~ *wālús (u-stem), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to revolve”). Cognate with Lithuanian võlas (“clump, rolling, large wave”), dial. Latvian vā̀ls, vâls (“descend”).

Some descendants have added/innovated (possibly in post proto-Slavic period) the meaning “barrage, wall” under the influence of akin Latin vallum, Proto-Germanic *wallą.

Noun

*vȃlъ m

1. roll, slump, downturn

   Synonym: *katъ

2. (by extension) wave, billow
3. (possibly deverbalial from *vaľati) roller, cylinder (tool/shape)

   Synonym: *vaľakъ

4. (by extension, possibly post-Slavic) barrage, heap, dyke, embankment

   Synonym: *sъpъ

Declension

Both o- and u-stem paradigms are attested, without clarity which meaning comes from which declension type:

Declension of *vȃlъ (hard o-stem, accent paradigm c)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*vȃlъ	*vȃla	*vȃli
genitive	*vȃla	*valù	*vãlъ
dative	*vȃlu	*valomà	*valòmъ
accusative	*vȃlъ	*vȃla	*vȃly
instrumental	*vȃlъmь, *vȃlomь*	*valomà	*valý
locative	*vȃlě	*valù	*valě̃xъ
vocative	*vale	*vȃla	*vȃli

^* -ъmь in North Slavic, -omь in South Slavic.

Declension of *vȃlъ (u-stem, accent paradigm c)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*vȃlъ	*vȃly	*vȃlove
genitive	*vȃlu	*valovù	*valòvъ
dative	*vȃlovi	*valъmà	*vȃlъmъ
accusative	*vȃlъ	*vȃly	*vȃly
instrumental	*vȃlъmь	*valъmà	*valъmì
locative	*valú	*valovù	*vȃlъxъ
vocative	*valu	*vȃly	*vȃlove

Derived terms

• *navalъ
• *ob(ъ)valъ
• *orzvalъ
• *pervalъ
• *povalъ
• *provalъ
• *sъvalъ
• *zavalъ

Related terms

• *valiti (“to fall, to tumble”), *vaľati (“to roll, to scend”)
  • *valežь (“fall”)
  • *valunъ (“boulder”)
• *valovati (“to roll over, to undulate”)
• *valъkъ (“cylindrical, rolled up”)
• *vьlna (“wave”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: валъ (valŭ)
    • Russian: вал (val)
    • Ukrainian: вал (val)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic: валъ (valŭ)
  • Bulgarian: вал (val)
  • Macedonian: вал (val)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ва̑л

    Latin script: vȃl

  • Slovene: vȃł (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: val
  • Old Polish: wał
    • Polish: wał
  • Slovak: val

• Non-Slavic:
  • → Romanian: val (“wave”)

References

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “вал”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “вал¹, вал²”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 113
• “volas”, in Lietuvių kalbos etimologinio žodyno duomenų bazė [Lithuanian etymological dictionary database], 2007–2012