Slavic Language Vocabulary & Etymology

In the Slavic languages, such as Polish, Czech, Sorbian, and Slovak, there are fascinating similarities and differences in vocabulary. Here's a brief exploration:

**Child**: The word for child is quite similar across these languages, with Polish using "dziecko," Czech "dítě," Sorbian "dźěcko," and Slovak "dieťa."

**Assembly**: For assembly, Polish has "zgromadzenie," Czech uses "shromáždění," Sorbian "zawěsćanje," and Slovak "zhromaždenie."

**Water**: Water is "woda" in Polish, "voda" in Czech and Slovak, and "woda" in Sorbian.

**Lightning**: Lightning is "błyskawica" in Polish, "blesk" in Czech, "blisk" in Sorbian, and "blesk" in Slovak.

**Snake**: The word for snake is "wąż" in Polish, "had" in Czech, "wuz" in Sorbian, and "had" in Slovak.

**Eggs**: Eggs are referred to as "jajka" in Polish, "vejce" in Czech, "jajka" in Sorbian, and "vajcia" in Slovak.

**Servant**: Servant translates to "służący" in Polish, "sluha" in Czech, "słužići" in Sorbian, and "sluha" in Slovak.

These words reflect both the shared roots and the unique evolution of each language.

Here’s a brief etymology for each word in respective languages:

**Polish:**
- **Child**: Derived from Proto-Slavic *dětę, related to *děti (children).
- **Assembly**: From Old French *assemblee*, meaning a gathering.
- **Water**: From Proto-Germanic *watr-, related to Old English *wæter*.
- **Lightning**: Likely from the same Proto-Indo-European root as English *light*.
- **Eggs**: From Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm, related to *ptak* (bird).
- **Servant**: From Latin *servus*, meaning servant or slave.

**Czech:**
- **Child**: Likely from a Proto-Indo-European root, similar to English *child*.
- **Assembly**: Similar to Polish, from Old French *assemblee*.
- **Water**: Related to the Proto-Germanic *watr-.
- **Lightning**: Similar to Polish, likely from a root related to *light*.
- **Eggs**: Similar to Polish, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm.
- **Servant**: Similar to Polish, from Latin *servus*.

**Sorbian/Slovak:**
The etymology in Sorbian and Slovak for these words would be similar to Polish and Czech, as they share common Slavic roots. Specific etymological details for Sorbian and Slovak are not provided here, but they would align closely with the Proto-Slavic origins and influences from neighboring languages.

This summary provides a high-level overview, and each word’s origin is rooted in ancient languages that have influenced the modern Slavic languages. The words have evolved over time, borrowing from Latin, Germanic, and Proto-Indo-European languages.