Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/ščelь

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-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to cleave”). Akin to Proto-Germanic *skaljō (“shell”).

Noun

*ščelь f

fracture, crack, fissure
(by extension) fragment, shard, pebble

Inflection

Declension of *ščelь (i-stem)
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*ščelь	*ščeli	*ščeli
genitive	*ščeli	ščelьju, ščeľu^*	ščelьjь, ščeli^*
dative	*ščeli	*ščelьma	*ščelьmъ
accusative	*ščelь	*ščeli	*ščeli
instrumental	ščelьjǫ, ščeľǫ^*	*ščelьma	*ščelьmi
locative	*ščeli	ščelьju, ščeľu^*	*ščelьxъ
vocative	*ščeli	*ščeli	*ščeli

^* 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

*ščelina (“aperture”)
*ščelistъ, *ščelęstъ (“cloven, cleft”)
*ščeliti (“to open a fracture”)
*ščelьcь, *ščelьkunъ (“type of winged insect”)
*ščelьka (diminutive)
*ščelьnъ, *ščelevъ (relative adjective)

Related terms

*čeľustь (“jaw”) (in its first element)
*ščelpъ (“lower jaw”)
*skala (“rock, crag”)
*skolьka (“shell, vesicle”)
*oskolъkъ (“splinter”)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Belarusian: шчэ́ль (ščélʹ)
- Russian: щель (ščelʹ)
- Ukrainian: щіль (ščilʹ)