Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/xovati

From an earlier *skovati, (per Berneker, Brückner) most likely from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- (“to heed, to perceive”) via semantic shift to observe → to overwatch, guard → to take care. Similar development as in Proto-Slavic *čuvati (“to hear”) > Macedonian чува (čuva, “to preserve”), dial. Bulgarian чу́вам (čúvam, “to overwatch, to tend”). Cognate with Proto-Germanic *skawwōną (“to look”) and related to Ancient Greek θυο-σκόος (thuo-skóos, “priest”, literally “watching the victim”). Without initial s-: Ancient Greek κοέω (koéō, “to notice, note, remark”), Latin cavēre (“to guard, abide by, (be)ware, watch out”), Sanskrit कवि (kavi, “overseer, shepherd”).

Alternatively, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover”) with semantic development to cover → to hide, to shield → to take care of.

*xovati impf (perfective *xovovati)

1. to take care, to heed, to tend → to raise, to upbring

   Synonyms: *bergťi, *kutiti

2. to hide, to shield (in order to protect)

   Synonyms: *sъkryvati, *prętati

3. to feed (secondary)
4. (reflexive) (+ *sę) to care for oneself

• *vyxovati, *perxovati (“to raise, to upbring”)
• *sъxovati, *zaxovati (“to take under care”)
• *xovateľь, *xovačь, *xovanьcь (agent nouns)

• *čuti (“to sense, feel, notice”)
• *skumati (“to examine”)
• *sъkyvati (“to take a look”)
• *xyzъ (“hut, shelter”), *xyža (“lodge”) (possibly)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: ховати (xovati)
    • Belarusian: хова́ць (xovácʹ), хава́ць (xavácʹ)
    • Russian: хова́ть (xovátʹ), хува́ть (xuvátʹ)
    • Old Ukrainian: ховати (xovati), ховать (xovatĭ)
      • Ukrainian: хова́ти (xováty)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Croatian: hovati
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: chovati
    • Czech: chovat
  • Old Polish: chować
    • Polish: chować
    • Silesian: chować
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: chòwac
  • Slovak: chovať, chovať sa
  • Sorbian:
    • Upper Sorbian: khować
    • Lower Sorbian: chowaś

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “ховать”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Trubachyov, Oleg, editor (1981), “*xovati (sę)”, in Этимологический словарь славянских языков [Etymological dictionary of Slavic languages] (in Russian), numbers 8 (*xa – *jьvьlga), Moscow: Nauka, page 86