Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/dъbati

Uncertain. One hypothesis connects it to Latin dubāre (“to doubt”), Latin dubius (“dubious”), ultimately a derivative from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ (“two”). Along a similar line of logic is a potential connection to Proto-Slavic *dybati (“to meander, to get atop”), possibly a cognate with Proto-Germanic *tuppijô (“to be atop”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwe(m)b- (“top”).

Another option is a borrowing from Proto-Indo-Iranian[1] source, probably Scythian.

A third hypothesis is a possible metathesis of Proto-Slavic *bъděti (“to be awake”), under the influence of an earlier negated form *nebъda > *nedъba.

Some scholars also relate it to *deběti (“to stalk”) +‎ *-ati, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰebʰ-, which would require an earlier proto-form *dьbati. The expected grade in this case is e-grade or ē-grade, however, 0-grade is not impossible, either.

*dъbati impf

1. to look after, to account

• *deběti (“to stalk”)
• *debnǫti (“to prowl”)
• *dybati (“to meander”)

• East Slavic:
  • Belarusian: дбаць (dbacʹ)
  • Russian: дбать (dbatʹ)
  • Ukrainian: дба́ти (dbáty)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: dbáti
    • Czech: dbát
  • Polish: dbać
  • Slovak: dbať
  • Kashubian: dbac
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: dbać
    • Lower Sorbian: dźbaś

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “дбать”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1978), “*dъbаti”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 5 (*dělo – *dьržьlь), Moscow: Nauka, page 172