Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/bělъka

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

Etymology

From *bělъ +‎ *-ъka. Akin to Lithuanian bálnas (“white-backed”) and possibly to Latin faelēs (“cat, marten”).

Noun

*bělъka f

creature with white colored torso
→ squirrel (East Slavic)
Synonyms: *věverica, *katerica

→ stone marten (Eastern South Slavic)

→ type of fish (Western South Slavic)
pale skinned female
albumen

Declension

Declension of *bělъka (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*bělъka	*bělъcě	*bělъky
genitive	*bělъky	*bělъku	*bělъkъ
dative	*bělъcě	*bělъkama	*bělъkamъ
accusative	*bělъkǫ	*bělъcě	*bělъky
instrumental	bělъkojǫ, bělъkǫ^**	*bělъkama	*bělъkami
locative	*bělъcě	*bělъku	bělъkasъ, bělъkaxъ^*
vocative	*bělъko	*bělъcě	*bělъky

^* -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).

Descendants

East Slavic:
- Old East Slavic: бѣлка (bělka)
  - Belarusian: бе́лка (bjélka, “squirrel”)
  - Russian: бе́лка (bélka, “squirrel”)
  - Old Ukrainian: бѣлка (bělka)
    - Ukrainian: бі́лка (bílka, “squirrel”)
- Old Novgorodian: бѣлка (bělka)
South Slavic:
- Bulgarian: бя́лка (bjálka, “stone marten”), бе́лка (bélka)
- Macedonian: белка (belka)
- Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic script: би̑лка (dialectal), бијѐљка
  
  Latin script: bȋlka (dialectal), bijèljka
- Slovene: bȇlka
West Slavic:
- Old Czech: bělka
  - Czech: bělka (dialectal)
- Kashubian: białka
- Polish: białka

Non-Slavic:
- → Albanian: bejkë (“white sheep”)