Proto-Slavic trace in Rusin lexis and paremiology: potya*

Abstract

The article offers a detailed analysis of the Rusin lexeme potya (‘small bird’) inherited from the Proto-Slavic language. The form and semantics of the lexeme fully corresponds to its Proto-Slavic prototype reconstructed in the article. The author cites a representative series of derivatives of this lexeme (potyata, potyatko, potyaytko, pot’ka, potyuk, potyukh, potich, potak, potyachnyy, pot’ichiy etc.), fixed in the dictionaries by I. Franko, D. Pop, I. Kerchа, M.Y. Onyshkevich, M.D. Matviyiv et al. to trace its semantic evolution and demonstrate its connotative potential. The lexeme is compared with the East Slavic and Slovak lexemes of the same root to register semantic similarities and differences. Particular attention is paid to sayings (resp. phraseological units) and proverbs with the potya component. The following five sayings are characterized in terms of their chronology, area, structure and semantics: Põtya maloye beresya na svõyi kryla; Vadyat’sya tak, shto y põtya by na khizhu ne sіlo; Tsi sova ne põtya? Lem põtyachoye moloko mu khibit’. They are compared with Ukrainian, Russian and other Slavic or common European sayings. Revealed are both common and their various features. The detailed analysis of the following eight proverbs has shown that some of them have a narrowly regional character, while the area of others goes beyond the common Slavic pace: Põtya vidko po pіryu, a cholovіka po robotі; Vpoznati potya po piryu; Põtyati, shto zvyklo lіtati, tyazhko na klіtku zvykati; Yake gnizdo, taki y potita; Kazhdoye põtya lyubit’ krikhotya; Krikhõtyata day põtyatam; Serencha gi põtya, de khõche, tam i syade; Yedno põtya lіs ne nasvishche; Yak potya yimayut’, ta go gladkayut’. The data proves the ProtoSlavic status of the Rusin lexeme potya (*pъtę) and allows its attribution to the ancient Rusin linguistic and cultural heritage. A comparative and etymological analysis of the lexeme convincingly shows its originality in the regional language and as well as its uniqueness and proto-Slavic antiquity. It retained the Proto-Slavic form and semantics and gradually enriched with phraseological and paremiological connections. Proverbs and sayings, whose semantic core is the Rusin lexeme, reflect multi-layered interlanguage connections with other Slavic and European areas, without losing their figurative and regional uniqueness.