Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/drebъxa

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

• *derxa

Etymology

Isolated Balkan Slavic isogloss. According to BER, formed as *drebъ (“residue of linen, wool”) +‎ *-ха, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- (“to fracture”). A similar formation is observed in Proto-Slavic *rǫbaxa (“shirt”) from Proto-Slavic *rǫbъ (“edge”). Cognate with Lithuanian drabùžis (“clothes, clothing”). Possibly related to West Slavic *drabъ (“clothing”).

Alternatively, from Proto-Slavic *derti (“to tear”), cognate with Ancient Greek δέρρις (dérrhis, “skin”). The later etymology is challenged by Georgiev, since it should have given **дряха (**drjaha) in East Bulgarian.

No relation to English dress.

Noun

*drebъxa f

1. clothing, mantle

   → (by extension) dress

Declension

Declension of *drebъxa (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*drebъxa	*drebъśě	*drebъxy
genitive	*drebъxy	*drebъxu	*drebъxъ
dative	*drebъśě	*drebъxama	*drebъxamъ
accusative	*drebъxǫ	*drebъśě	*drebъxy
instrumental	*drebъxojǫ, *drebъxǫ**	*drebъxama	*drebъxami
locative	*drebъśě	*drebъxu	*drebъxasъ, *drebъxaxъ*
vocative	*drebъxo	*drebъśě	*drebъxy

^* -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).

Related terms

• *drebь (“debris”)
  • *drebьnъ (“tiny, small”)
  • *drebiti (“to quiver, to crush”)
• *dreboliti (“to break apart”)
• *drobъ (“chunk; liver, intestine”)
• *droba (“sediment”)
• *drobь (“fraction”)
  • *drobiti (“to fraction, to crush”)
  • *drobina (“intestine, entrails”)

Derived terms

• *drebъšьka (diminutive)
• *drebъšiti (“to dress”)

Descendants

• South Slavic:
  • Bulgarian: дре́ха (dréha)
    • ⇒ Bulgarian: дре́шка (dréška)
  • Macedonian: дреа (drea) (*-x- silent between vowels)
    • ⇒ Macedonian: дрешка (dreška)

Further reading

• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “дреха”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 426