A contribution to the study of the psl *kovylъ/*kovylь ‘Stipa pennata’

Abstract

Contemporary etymological research is largely aimed at rethinking hitherto offered etymological solutions, especially for words that do not have a generally accepted interpretation. One of those words is PSl *kovyl? / *kovyl? ?feather-grass, Stipa pennata?, whose continuants are attested mainly in Eastern and Southern Slavic languages: Ru. kovy?, kovyl, Ukr. kovi?, kovila, Bel. kavy?, Bulg. kovil, koil, kofi l, Mac. kovil, kofi l, SCr. kovilje, Sln. kovilje. The etymological literature has drawn attention to the potential connection of PSl *kovyl? / *kovyl? with the verb *kovy?ati (s?) ?to swing, wobble, stagger?, even though this verb does not have a unanimously accepted interpretation either. This paper departs from the assumption that the phytonym and verb under consideration have a common origin, and that the prefi x *ko- is distinguished in both forms. The verb is related to PSl *v?lati, v?laj? ?to swing, swing on waves?, related to PSl *v?lna ?wave?, *valiti (s?) ?to roll?, and ultimately boils down to the IE root *?elH- ?to roll?. As among the continuants and derivatives of the PSl verb *v?lati there is a variation of the reduced vowels (-?- : -?-) at the root (cf. OCS v?lajati s? ?to oscillate (about waves)?, etc.), forms with the vocalism -?- could serve as a basis for the occurrence of the secondary ablaut *v?l- / *vyl-. Thus, from the unconfirmed prefixed form *ko-v?lati s? (a form without the prefix *v?lati s? is reconstructed!), an intense / iterative *kovyl(j)ati s? could be created in the same meaning. The variance of -ati / -jati can be explained from the original *kovylati, kovilj? (s?), with the subsequent spread of the palatal ? from the present tense stem to the infinitive stem. This also explains the variation of the palatal and non-palatal l at the end of the stem of the deverbal noun *kovyl? / *kovyl?.