Where does “слабак” come from?
слабак (Russian) comes from Bulgarian слаб, from Old Church Slavonic слабъ, from Proto-Slavic slàbъ, from Proto-Indo-European (s)leh₂b- — to hang loosely, be weak; to be weak, limp,...
слабак (Russian): weakling; wimp, coward
Ancestry of “слабак”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Bulgarian | слаб | weak, effete, feeble, puny; thin, lean, spare;... |
| 2 | Old Church Slavonic | слабъ | weak |
| 3 | Proto-Slavic | slàbъ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)leh₂b- | to hang loosely, be weak; to be weak, limp,... |