bьčelà

bьčelà Grammatical information: f. ā Accent paradigm: b Proto-Slavic meaning: `bee'

Page in Trubačev: III 104-105

Old Church Slavic:

bьčela (Ps. Sin.) `bee' [f ā];

bъčela (Mar., Ass.) `bee' [f ā] \{1\}

Russian:

pčeĺa `bee' [f ā];

bčelá (dial.) `bee' [f ā];

bželá (dial.) `bee' [f ā]

Ukrainian:

bdžolá `bee' [f ā];

pčolá `bee' [f ā]

Czech:

včela `bee' [f ā]

Slovak:

včela `bee' [f ā] \{2\}

Polish:

pszczoɫa `bee' [f ā];

pczoɫa (dial., arch.) `bee' [f ā];

pczeɫa (arch.) `bee' [f ā]

Upper Sorbian:

pčola `bee' [f ā];

wčola `bee' [f ā]

Lower Sorbian:

coɫa `bee' [f ā];

pcoɫa (arch.) `bee' [f ā]

Polabian:

celă `bee' [f ā]

Serbo-Croatian:

pčèla `bee' [f ā];

čèla `bee' [f ā];

Čak. čȅla (Vrgada) `bee' [f ā];

Čak. čelȁ (Novi) `bee' [f ā];

Čak. čȅlica (Orbanići) `bee' [f jā]

Slovene:

bǝčę̑la `bee' [f ā];

bčę̑la `bee' [f ā];

čǝbę̑la `bee' [f ā];

čǝbę̑la `bee' [f ā];

čę̑la `bee' [f ā];

čmę̑la `bee' [f ā]

Bulgarian:

pčelá `bee' [f ā]

Proto-Balto-Slavic reconstruction: bi-t-; bi-kel-eh₂

Lithuanian:

bìtė `bee' [f ē] 2

Latvian:

bite `bee' [f ē]

Old Prussian:

bitte `bee' [f]

Indo-European reconstruction: bʰi-

IE meaning: bee

Page in Pokorny: 116

Comments: The North European root bʰi occurs with various suffixes. The *-k- of the Slavic forms is also found in OIr. bech < *bi-ko-. The main alternative etymology departs from PSl. *bъčela and advocates a connection with bučati `make a loud noise, roar'. This is the eymology preferred by Sɫawski (SP I: 456-457).

Other cognates:

OIc. bý `bee' [n];

MoDu. bij `bee';

OHG bini `bee' [n];

OHG bīa `bee' [f];

OE béo `bee' [f];

OIr. bech `bee'

Notes:

\{1\} The variant bьčela occurs only once, but considering that bъčela is almost as rare, it is impossible to conclude on the basis of Old Church Slavic which is the original form. \{2\} Slovak dialect forms have an anlaut pč-, fč-, pš- or \č-.