Where does “падеж” come from?
падеж (Serbo-Croatian) comes from Proto-Slavic padežь, from Proto-Slavic pasti, from Proto-Balto-Slavic pāˀstéi, from Proto-Indo-European péh₂sti, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.
падеж (Serbo-Croatian): case; waterfall
Ancestry of “падеж”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | padežь | fall; crumbling, downfall, disaster |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | pasti | to pasture; to herd; to fall |
| 3 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | pāˀstéi | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | péh₂sti | to guard, to protect; to shepherd |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |