Where does “як” come from?

як (Belarusian) comes from Proto-Slavic jako, from Proto-Slavic jakъ, from Proto-Slavic jь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic iś, from Old Polish ić, from Proto-Slavic jьti, from Proto-Balto-Slavic eitei, from Proto-Indo-European h₁éyti — to go.

як (Belarusian): how; as, like; than

Definitions

  1. how; as, like; than

Ancestry of “як”, step by step

як traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Slavic jako

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Slavicjakohow, in which way
2Proto-Slavicjakъof this kind; of what/which kind
3Proto-Slavicjьthis; he
4Proto-Balto-Slaviciśthis
5Old Polishićto go
6Proto-Slavicjьtito go
7Proto-Balto-Slaviceiteito go
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁éytito go, to be going
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ey-to go

via Tibetan གཡག

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tibetanགཡགyak
2Proto-Sino-Tibetang-jak ~ g-jaŋsheep, yak
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁éyti →Every word from Proto-Balto-Slavic eitei →