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Srpski And English Words With A Common Root
English and Srpski have both evolved from the same ancient language, called 'Proto-Indo-European'. Some of its original words now have modern descendants which are still recognisably related although considerably changed.
Some of the consonants had softened by the time they reached English. These changes are summarised in Grimm's Law:
| Proto-Indo- European | English |
|---|---|
| k → | h |
| p → | f |
| t → | th |
| b → | p |
| d → | t |
| g → | k |
Similarly, here are some transformations that often happened into Srpski:
| Proto-Indo- European | Srpski |
|---|---|
| w → | v |
| rs us ks is→ | š |
| k → | s |
| g → | z |
| ki → | či |
| gi → | ži |
| si → | ši |
The words to survive represent the vocabulary of the ancient culture, such as numbers, food and drink, farm animals etc.
Below, I have tried to assemble a list of English and Serbian words with common roots.
Some of the meanings have changed or drifted.
For reference, I used Wikipedia and
Indo-European Etymological Dictionary (IEED).
| Root Word From Proto-Indo- European Language | Meaning Of Root Word | A Derived English Word | A Derived English Word Adopted From Latin | A Derived Serbian Word | Meaning Of Serbian Word | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers | ||||||
| *duwoh | two | two | dva | two | ||
| *treies | three | three | tri | three | ||
| *kwetwores | four | four | quarter | četiri | four | *kwetwores → *petwor → feower → four. |
| *penkwe | five | five | pet | five | ||
| *sweks | six | six | šešt | six | ||
| *septm | seven | seven | sedam | seven | ||
| *okto | eight | eight | octagon | osam | eight | |
| *néwn | nine | nine | devet | nine | ||
| *dekm | ten | ten | deset | ten | ||
| *dekm.t → *dkm.tom → *k'm.tom | hundred | sto | hundred | |||
| Family | ||||||
| *mater- | mother | majka | ||||
| *bhrater- | brother | brat | ||||
| *swesor | sister | sestra | ||||
| *suhnu | son | sin | ||||
| *dhugh@tér- | daughter | ćerka | ||||
| *awo | avuncular | ujak | uncle (mother's brother) | |||
| *widhewa | widow | udovica | nine | also udova | ||
| Human Body | ||||||
| *aus- | ear | uvo | ||||
| *bhru- | (eye) brow | obrva | ||||
| *kerd- | heart | srce | ||||
| *kes- | comb | hair | kosa | hair | ||
| *nas- | nose | nos | ||||
| *ped-, *pod- | foot | pod | under | |||
| Animals | ||||||
| *ekwos | horse | konj | ||||
| *gans- | goose | guska | ||||
| *gou- | cow | krava | ||||
| *mus | mouse | miš | ||||
| *sw-en- | swine | svinja | 'swine' is a formal term for pigs. | |||
| *wlkwos | wolf | vuk | ||||
| Food and Drink | ||||||
| *abel- | apple | jabuka | ||||
| ? | loaf | hleb | ||||
| *medhu | honey, mead | mead | med | mead is a drink made from honey. | ||
| *melg- | milk | mleko | ||||
| *sal- | salt | sol | ||||
| *wod-, *wod-r- | water | voda | ||||
| Position | ||||||
| *laiwo- | left | leva | ||||
| *deksi- | desni | The nearest English word is 'dexterity' which could mean right-handedness. | ||||
| *medyo- | middle | mid | među | amongst | ||
| *dhub-ro- | deep | depth | dubina | |||
| Nature | ||||||
| *akwah- | island | ostrvo | ||||
| *bhago- | beech | bukva | ||||
| *bhergo | birch | breza | ||||
| *doru, deru- | tree | drvo | ||||
| *ger- | crane | žerav | ||||
| *loksos- | losos | losos = salmon. English word 'lox' = smoked salmon. | ||||
| *menor-, *mens- | moon | mesec | ||||
| *nebh- | nebo | *nebh- = cloud, vapour, sky. Nearest English word: 'nebulous' = cloudy | ||||
| *ni-sd-o- | nest | gnezdo | ||||
| *sneigwh- | snow | sneg | ||||
| *seh-wol-, *sh-un-s | sun | sunce | ||||
| *wento- | wind | vetar | ||||
| Dwellings | ||||||
| *dom- | domicile | dom | domestic = domaći | |||
| *dwer- | door | dveri | dveri is an old word for pair of doors | |||
| *ghor-dho- | enclosure | garden | grad | city | ||
| Colours | ||||||
| *bhel- | light, bright | blond | beli | |||
| *ghel-to- | gold | žut | ||||
| To Be | ||||||
| *bhu- | be | biti | ||||
| *es-, *esti- | am, is | jesam, je, jeste | ||||
| Others | ||||||
| *bher- | bear | brati, berem | to bear = to carry, berem = I gather | |||
| *bhu- | be | biti | ||||
| *do-/*de- | donate | dati | ||||
| *dheh-, *dhe- | to do, to put | do | desti | to put, place | ||
| *ed- | to eat | jesti | ||||
| *ei- | to go, to walk | itinerary | ići | |||
| *gne- | to know | znati | ||||
| *gwen- | woman | queen | žena | |||
| *hesti- | is | jeste | ||||
| *ki-,*ko | who | ko | ||||
| *kwel- | wheel | kolo | ||||
| *legh- | lie | ležati | ||||
| *mrto- | dead | murder | mrtav | dead|||
| *ne | no | ne | ||||
| *nemn- | name | ime | ||||
| *newo- | new | nov | ||||
| *nokw- | night | noć | ||||
| *ple-no- | full | pun | ||||
| *pro- | pro- (prefix meaning 'forward') | pro | ||||
| *sed- | sit | sedeti | ||||
| *sthto- =to be standing | stand | stati | ||||
| *tep- | warm | tepid | topao | warm | ||
| *wegh- | wagon | voz | trainnowadays, both wagon & voz are usually railway terms | |||
| *welh- | wool | vuna | ||||