Where does “молитва” come from?
молитва (Old East Slavic) comes from Proto-Slavic modlitva, from Proto-Slavic modliti, from Proto-Balto-Slavic malditei, from Proto-Indo-European meldʰ- — to ask, pray, speak; lightning.
Ancestry of “молитва”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | modlitva | — |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | modliti | to ask, pray |
| 3 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | malditei | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | meldʰ- | to ask, pray, speak; lightning |