Proto-Slavic borrowings

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Main article: Proto-Slavic language

Numerous lexemes that are reconstructable for Proto-Slavic have been identified as borrowings from the languages of various tribes that Proto-Slavic speakers came into contact with, either in prehistorical times or during their expansion when they first appeared in history in the 6th century (the Common Slavic period).[1] Most of the loanwords come from Germanic languages, with other contributors being Iranian, Celtic, and Turkic. The topic of such loanwords in Slavic has sparked numerous sharp debates in the 20th century, some of which persist to this day. Many words that were assumed to be borrowings in Proto-Slavic have had their Slavic origin discovered by linguists studying the field of etymology. Scientists like Max Vasmer and Oleg Trubachyov have done a huge amount of research to determine the true origin of Slavic words. Both Vasmer and Trubachev have compiled and published academic dictionaries on Slavic languages and take into account all false and disputed topics in the field of Slavic etymology. Both dictionaries are used in academia worldwide and are considered the most accurate sources for Slavic etymology. Each dictionary consist of a compilation of printed books. But the online version of Vasmers dictionary is available for anyone to view for free.https://lexicography.online/etymology/vasmer/;[2] Another etymological dictionary written by G.P. Cyganenko, takes a more modern look at the theories presented by Vasmer and others. The dictionary is published in print but is also available online for free, however this dictionary mostly explains origins for words that are most common and is not as extensive as the works of Vasmer or Trubachev. http://www.slovorod.ru/etym-cyganenko/index.html

Slavic and Iranian[]

According to Matasović (2008), "solving the problem of Iranian loanwords in Slavic, their distribution and relative chronology, is one of the most important tasks of modern Slavic studies".[3] Slavs in the era of Proto-Slavic came into contact with various Iranian tribes, namely Scythians, Sarmatians, and Alans, which were present in vast regions of eastern and southeastern Europe in the first centuries CE. The names of two large rivers in the centre of Slavic expansion, Dnieper and Dniester, are of Iranian origin, and Iranian toponyms are found as far west as modern day Romania.[4]

For a long time there have been investigators who believe that the number of loanwords from Iranian languages in Proto-Slavic is substantial. For example, Gołąb (1992) maintains that all Slavic words with unexplained initial *x- are in fact Iranianisms. However, there have been other Slavists who have claimed that confirmed Iranianisms in Slavic are in fact surprisingly few, and Matasović has raised broad objections to the body of past Iranianist research. Meillet and Vaillant[5] cite the Slavic word *taparu, axe (Russ. topór, Pol. topór, Sr-Cr. tȍpor),[1] which came from Iranian *tapara- (cf. Persian tabar). (Gołąb, noting the etymological connection with Slavic *tepǫ, I hit, holds that this word is in fact a loan from Slavic into Iranian.) Meillet and Vaillant explain the alleged lack of Iranianisms in Slavic with the argument: "the civilization of warrior and partially nomadic tribes, like Scythian and Sarmatian, could have exerted only a cursory influence on the patriarchal civilization of Slavs."[5]

Matasović criticizes Gołąb's approach as "methodologically unacceptable",[4] emphasizing that initial *x- in Slavic has several sources, some of which have been ascertained (like PIE *#ks-),[6] and others which have not.[7] Matasović recommends that instances of initial *x- in Slavic should first be explained by recourse to regular Slavic sound laws, and that Iranian should be proposed as a source if and only if the etymon has been attested in Iranian and if and only if there is additional phonetic evidence to support the proposal.

Gołąb and Matasović concur that Reczek (1985) and Bernštejn (1961–74) compiled excessively large numbers of alleged Iranianisms by neglecting to thoroughly check the candidates against accepted sound changes in the various major descendants of Proto-Indo-European.

Two likely Iranian loanwords in Common Slavic are[1]

  • PSl. *gōnjā, cloak, mantle (Russ. gúnja, Pol. gunia, Sr-Cr. gȗnj) < Iranian *gaunyā (Av.[1] gaona-, Khotanese ggūna, Ossetian γun);
  • PSl. *rāji, heaven (OCS rajь, Pol. raj, Russ. raj, Sr-Cr. rȃj) < Iranian *rāy- (Av. rāy).

There are Iranianisms which have not been attested in every one of the three first order subdivisions of the Slavic languages (East, West, South); hence the evidence is lacking that these borrowings date back to Common Slavic. Examples:

  • PSl. *gupānu, master (Old Czech hpán, Pol. pan, Ukr. župan) < Iranian *gu-pāna 'cattle supervisor'
  • PSl. *pātrītej, to observe (Pol. patrzyć) < Iranian *pātray- (Av. pāθrāy 'to protect')

Meillet and Vaillant considered that the semasiological development of the Proto-Slavic word for god was an Iranianism. In both Slavic and Indo-Iranian, the root that denotes deity also denotes wealth, share (Proto-Slavic *bagu > Common Slavic *bogъ) and Indo-Iranian (Old Persian WIKI