Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/bьrava

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

Alternative reconstructions

  • *borva (БЕР)

Etymology

From *bьrati (to take, to collect) +‎ *-va or *bor- (assembly) +‎ *-va. The exact etymology is unknown since the etymon is attested relatively lately and only in South Slavic. The Balkan Turkish loanword perava nonetheless points towards *bьrava.

Noun

*bьrava f

  1. latch, fastener, locking mechanism (of an old-time gate)
  2. lock (of a modern door)
    Synonym: *zamъkъ

Inflection

Declension of *bьrava (hard a-stem)
singular dual plural
nominative *bьrava *bьravě *bьravy
genitive *bьravy *bьravu *bьravъ
dative *bьravě *bьravama *bьravamъ
accusative *bьravǫ *bьravě *bьravy
instrumental *bьravojǫ, *bьravǫ** *bьravama *bьravami
locative *bьravě *bьravu *bьravasъ, *bьravaxъ*
vocative *bьravo *bьravě *bьravy

* -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

  • *bьravarjь (locksmith)

Descendants

  • East Slavic: —
  • South Slavic:
    • Old Church Slavonic:
    • Bulgarian: брава (brava)
    • Macedonian: брава (brava)
    • Serbo-Croatian:
      Cyrillic script: бра̀ва
      Latin script: bràva
  • West Slavic: —
  • → Albanian: bravë
  • → Greek: μπράβα (bráva) (dialectal)
  • → Turkish: perava (dialectal)

Further reading

  • Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “брава”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 71