Etymologically
Log in

дробить

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 17:35. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • [drɐˈbʲitʲ][1]

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
  • 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