Proto-Slavic *černъ and *čerěnъ. II. Handle and molar

Abstract

The first part of this article examined a number of hypotheses related to the semantics of the Proto-Slavic word černъ. The analysis of the material indicates that for Proto-Slavic, it is important to distinguish between two words: černъ and čerěnъ / čerěnь / čerenъ / čerenь ‘hearth vault’. The author argues that the word *černъ denoted a handle (of a tool), while its descendants in individual Slavic languages have developed a range of secondary meanings, including ‘mushroom stem’ and ‘narrow part of a leaf (stalk, petiole) connecting it to the plant’. In terms of etymology *černъ is most probably a derivative of *čer- < PIE *kwer- ‘cut off, cut out’. The etymological meaning is ‘a piece of wood which was cut from a tree’. There is no basis for reconstructing *černъ as a Proto-Slavic somatism; however, the available data allow us to reconstruct the collocation *černowъ(jь) zǫbъ, which denoted the molar. The adjective *černowъ is derived from *černъ ‘handle (of a tool)’, and the etymological meaning of *černowъ(jь) zǫbъ is ‘main tooth’. It is possible to draw a partial typological parallel between *černъ and Russian коренной зуб, as well as Udmurt йырпинь ‘molar’, Komi юрпинь ‘id’ (literally ‘main tooth’).

Received: 07.07.2023.
Revised: 20.07.2023.
Accepted: 12.09.2023.

Citation
Saenko M. N. Proto-Slavic *černъ and *čerěnъ. II. Handle and molar // Slavic Almanac. 2024. No 1–2. P. 154‒184 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073- 5731.2024.1-2.08