Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/dolga

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

Uncertain. Likely akin to Lithuanian dalgùs/dilgùs (“prickly”), dal̃gis (“scythe”), Latvian dalgs (“scythe”), Old Prussian doalgis (“scythe”).

Per Derksen (supported by Kroonen), further origin perhaps from "Northern" Proto-Indo-European *delgʰ- (“to carve, to shape”), whence also Proto-Germanic *talgijaną (“to carve”). Alternative proposals suggest:

Mikkola, Pedersen: Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰelg- ~ *dʰalg- (“pricking tool”), cognate with Proto-Germanic *dalkaz (“pin, dagger”), Latin falx (“sickle”).
Berneker, Machek, Freankel: Effectively from Proto-Indo-European *dolh₁- (“to split, to cleave”) + *-ga, akin to Old Irish dlongaid (“to split”) (via another extension).

Noun

*dolga f

splint

Alternative forms

*dolgъ m

Declension

Declension of *dolga (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*dolga	*doldzě	*dolgy
genitive	*dolgy	*dolgu	*dolgъ
dative	*doldzě	*dolgama	*dolgamъ
accusative	*dolgǫ	*doldzě	*dolgy
instrumental	dolgojǫ, dolgǫ^**	*dolgama	*dolgami
locative	*doldzě	*dolgu	dolgasъ, dolgaxъ^*
vocative	*dolgo	*doldzě	*dolgy

^* -asъ is the expected Balto-Slavic form but is found only in some Old Czech documents; -axъ is found everywhere else and is formed by analogy with other locative plurals in -xъ.
^** 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).

Derived terms

*dolžьka, *dolžica (diminutive)

Related terms

*dolka (“pelt, hair”) (possibly)
*dolnь (“palm”) (possibly)

Descendants

South Slavic:
- Bulgarian: дла́га (dlága) (dialectal)
- Serbo-Croatian: (dialectal)
  Cyrillic script: дла́га, дла̑г m
  
  Latin script: dlága, dlȃg m
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: dláha, dlaha
  - Czech: dláha
- Slovak: dlaha
- Sorbian:
  - ⇒ Lower Sorbian: dłožka, dłožica (dialectal)