дробить

Forms

дроби́ть (drobítʹ) impf (perfective раздроби́ть, verbal noun дробле́ние)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic дробити (drobiti), from Proto-Slavic *drobiti (“to crumble, crush”).^[1][2][3] Related forms are Old Church Slavonic дробити (drobiti), Ukrainian дробити (drobyty), Bulgarian дробя (drobja), Serbo-Croatian дробити (drobiti), Slovene drobíti, Czech drobiti and Polish drobić.^[4][5] The verb is made with the suffix ⟨-iti⟩ from the stem of *drobъ (“small, crushed”), seen in дробь and in Old Russian and dialect дробный, meaning small.^[5][2]

The further connections are uncertain.^[5] Vasmer, following Miklosich and Berneker, compares a Gothic verb meaning to hew out;^[4][5] Wiktionary sets the verb beside Proto-Germanic *drabaną (“to hit, hew”) and Lithuanian drėbti (“to strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreb- (“to grind, crush”).^[1] ESRJa adds Old Norse draf (“fragments”), after Pokorny.^[5] Miklosich compared Latvian drupt (“to crumble”), which Brandt rejected;^[5] Sławski and Machek look instead to Lithuanian trapùs (“brittle”) and trupė́ti (“to crumble”).^[5][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record SlRJa gives is in Hippolytus' sermon on the Antichrist, in a 12th-century manuscript, where a beast with teeth of iron and claws of copper devours and crushes: „снедая и дробя”.^[6] The Prologue of the 13th century has the priests beginning „дробити положеное тѣло на блюдѣ” “to break the body laid on the dish” into pieces, and a man who „нача дробити на платы” “began to tear his robe into strips”.^[7][6]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian used the verb for cutting into small pieces, for breaking and tearing, and for crushing;^[7][2] Russian of the 11th to 17th centuries also had раздробити, издробити and сдробити.^[7][2] In the 18th century the figurative sense “to crush (enemies)” appears in poetry.^[8] Dal records дробить свинец “to make lead into shot”, дробить товар “to sell goods piecemeal” and дробить ногами “to step quickly and lightly”.^[9] In the dialects дробить means to cut boiled meat small (Perm), to walk or trot with short quick steps, and to beat out a rapid rhythm with the feet in a dance.^[10]

Timeline

• 12th century – дробя “crushing” in Hippolytus' sermon on the Antichrist.^[6]
• 13th century – дробити “to break into pieces” in the Prologue.^[7][6]
• 18th century – figurative “to crush (enemies)”.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To crush, break into small pieces: to crush stone.^[11][1]
2. To divide, split up: to split one's forces.^[11][1]
3. (regional) To beat out a quick rhythm with the feet in a dance.^[10]

Word family

• раздробить
• раздроблять
• дробиться
• дробление
• дроблёный
• дробильный
• дробилка
• дробина

Related words

• дробь
• дробный
• дробовик
• подробный
• дребезг
• Old East Slavic дробити (drobiti)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 1, 246
3. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 118
4. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 539
5. ^ a b c d e f g Shansky, N. M.; Zhuravlev, A. F. (eds.) (1963–2007), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь русского языка], vols. 1–10 (A–M), Moskva: Izdatel'stvo Moskovskogo universiteta, p. 5, s.v. дробить
6. ^ a b c d Barkhudarov, S. G. et al. (eds.) (1975–), Slovar' russkogo jazyka XI–XVII vv. [Словарь русского языка XI–XVII вв.], vols. 1–31, Moskva: Nauka / Azbukovnik / Lexrus, p. 4, s.v. дробити
7. ^ a b c d Avanesov, R. I. et al. (eds.) (1988–), Slovar' drevnerusskogo jazyka (XI–XIV vv.) [Словарь древнерусского языка (XI–XIV вв.)], vols. 1–13, Moskva: Russkij jazyk / Azbukovnik, p. 3, 83
8. ^ a b Sorokin, Yu. S. et al. (eds.) (1984–), Slovar' russkogo jazyka XVIII veka [Словарь русского языка XVIII века], vols. 1–24, Leningrad / Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, p. s.v. дробить
9. ^ Dal', V. I. (1880–1882), Tolkovyj slovar' živago velikorusskago jazyka [Толковый словарь живаго великорусскаго языка], 2nd ed., 4 vols., Sankt-Peterburg / Moskva: M. O. Vol'f, p. s.v. дробить
10. ^ a b Filin, F. P.; Sorokoletov, F. P.; Myznikov, S. A. (eds.) (1965–), Slovar' russkix narodnyx govorov [Словарь русских народных говоров], vols. 1–51, Moskva / Leningrad / Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, p. 8, 187
11. ^ a b Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. дробить