Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/Xъrsъ

From earlier *Kъrsъ, nominalization of *kъrsъ (“shrunken, thin”).[1][2] For alternation between *x and *k cf. Ukrainian хохо́л (xoxól) : Slovak kochol (from Proto-Slavic *xoxolъ from earlier *koxolъ), Russian хлопоты (xlopoty) : Polish kłopot, Kashubian kłopot : chłopot (from Proto-Slavic *klopotъ), also Polish cholebać : kolebać, chełzać : kiełzać.

For Slavic semantics compare Old Czech vetech, Polish wietek, wiotek (dialectal), Russian ве́тох (vétox), all meaning “waning moon”, from Proto-Slavic *vetъxъ (“old”).[3]

For non-Slavic semantics compare Hittite [script needed] (Arma, “god of the Moon”), from 𒌚 (arma-, “moon, month”), possibly from 𒅕𒈠𒀭 (erman-, “sickness; to decline”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁erm-o-s, from *h₁erm- (“ill, poor”). However other etymologies are proposed.

*Xъrsъ m[2]

1. (Slavic mythology) Khors (Slavic god of the Moon)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: Хърсъ (Xŭrsŭ) (see there for further descendants)
• South Slavic:
  • ⇒ Old Bulgarian: Хръсъ (Hrǎs, proper noun)
  • ⇒ Bulgarian: Хърсово (Hǎrsovo, toponyms)
  • ⇒ Old Serbian: Хьрсь (proper noun)
    • ⇒ Serbian: Hrs (proper noun)
• West Slavic:
  • ⇒? Old Czech: Chorúš (proper noun)
  • ⇒ Old Polish: *Kars (proper noun), *Chars
    • ⇒ Old Polish: Karsy (toponym)

• Non-Slavic:
  • → German: Chors (learned)
  • → English: Khors, Hors, Xors (learned)
  • → French: Khors (learned)
  • → Japanese: ホルス (learned)

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “Хорс”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), transl. & suppl. by Oleg Trubachyov, Moscow: Progress