подушка

Etymology

* Inherited from Old East Slavic подушька (podušĭka), from Proto-Slavic *podušьka. Cognate with Ukrainian по́душка (póduška), Czech poduška, Slovak poduška, Polish poduszka. Derived from Proto-Slavic *poduxa (whence Ukrainian по́духа (póduxa), Old Czech poducha); also compare Proto-Slavic *duxъna (“feather-bedspread”). Ultimately derivable from Proto-Slavic *duxъ (“breath, spirit”), through the sense development "breath" → "inflated" → "pillow". * The alternative etymology Russian под- (pod-) + у́хо (úxo) + -ька (-ʹka) had been: mentioned by Vasmer, rejected by Shansky, Krylov, Semjonov as folk etymology, given by Tsyganenko as possible (and compared typologically with Russian изголо́вье (izgolóvʹje) and synonymous възглавьница (vŭzglavĭnica) (**возглавница, Bulgarian възгла́вница (vǎzglávnica))), preferred by Shaposhnikov. : Compare synonymous (typologically ear and cheek related): :: ear: Dutch oorkussen (oor + kussen), French oreiller (oreille + -er < Latin auriculāris < auricula < auris), Welsh clustog (< clust); :: cheek: German Wangenkissen (analyzable as Wange + Kissen) < Old High German wangkussīn (whence Slovak vankúš, Hungarian vánkos), Greek μαξιλάρι (maxilári) (māxillāris), Arabic مِخَدَّة (miḵadda) (< خَدّ (ḵadd, “cheek”)) (whence Spanish almohada). : Also compare typologically: :: Native: подголо́вник (podgolóvnik) (< голова́ (golová)), подло́котник (podlókotnik) (< ло́коть (lókotʹ)); :: Synonymous, head related: Polish zagłówek (< głowa), Slovene vzglavnik (< glava), Danish hovedpude (< hoved), Dutch hoofdkussen (< hoofd), German Kopfkissen (< Kopf), Ancient Greek προσκεφάλαιον (proskephálaion) (< κεφᾰλή (kephălḗ)), Italian testiera (< testa), French têtière (< tête < Latin testa), Irish ceannadhairt (< ceann), Welsh gobennydd (go- + pen + -ydd); :: Synonymous, another body part related: Latin cervīcal (< cervīx), Latin coxīnus (< coxa) (whence English cushion, and many other descendants), Latin cubital (< cubitum).