Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/vysь

This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed words 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

The semantic value of the etymon hints towards an likely origin from *h₃up- +‎ *-s +‎ *-is. This root is believed to have given Old Irish úas (“above”), Ancient Greek ὕψι (húpsi, “aloft”) and, further away, it is also associated with the adverb *upó (“above, over, sub”) (see there for further cognates).

The problem with this reconstruction is that it cannot easily explain the long grade in Slavic. That can be a result either of reanalysis or due to amalgamation of the original pre-Slavic *vъ(p)sь with sigmatic forms of the adverb *úd (“out, off”), e.g. a hypothetical **vy(t)šьjь (“outer, external”). The later proto-root is the origin of the preposition Proto-Slavic *vy-.

Noun

*vysь f

height

Declension

Declension of *vysь (i-stem)

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*vysь	*vysi	*vysi
Accusative	*vysь	*vysi	*vysi
Genitive	*vysi	vysьju, vyšu^*	vysьjь, vysi^*
Locative	*vysi	vysьju, vyšu^*	*vysьxъ
Dative	*vysi	*vysьma	*vysьmъ
Instrumental	vysьjǫ, vyšǫ^*	*vysьma	*vysьmi
Vocative	*vysi	*vysi	*vysi

^* 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

*vysõkъ (“high, tall”)

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Russian: высь f (vysʹ)
South Slavic:
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic: ви̑с m
  
  Latin: vȋs m
West Slavic:
- Czech: výše f (noun)

References

Derksen, Rick (2008) Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 535f
Vasmer (Fasmer), Max (Maks) (1964–1973), “высокий”, in Etimologičeskij slovarʹ russkovo jazyka [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), translated from German and supplemented by Trubačóv Oleg, Moscow: Progress

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