Where does “жерло” come from?
жерло (Russian) comes from Old East Slavic жьрло, from Proto-Slavic žьrdlo, from Proto-Slavic žerdlo, from Proto-Balto-Slavic gerʔtló, from Proto-Indo-European gʷerh₃-tlóm, from Proto-Indo-European gʷerh₃- — to swallow, devour, eat.
Ancestry of “жерло”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old East Slavic | жьрло | — |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | žьrdlo | see *žerdlo |
| 3 | Proto-Slavic | žerdlo | throat, inlet; mouth, gorge; water spring |
| 4 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | gerʔtló | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷerh₃-tlóm | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷerh₃- | to swallow, devour, eat |