плещя

• IPA^(key): [ˈplɛʃtʲɐ]

Of onomatopoeic/expressive origin, analogous to пля́скам (pljáskam, “to spank, to splash”), пли́скам (plískam, “to swash”), плющя́ (pljuštjá, “to crackle”), (dialectal) пле́сам (plésam, “to play, to dance”). Probably developed via semantic shift from Etymology 1 in analogy with various onomatopoeic roots in -щя. Gerov lists the two semantic kernels together, giving preference to the pronunciation and conjugation of Etymology 2.

пле́щя • (pléštja) first-singular present indicative, impf (colloquial)

1. (transitive, intransitive) to chatter, to blather, to prattle nonsense (to talk in incomprehensive or overconvoluted way)

   Synonyms: бръщоле́вя (brǎštolévja), бле́щя (bléštja), пля́мпам (pljámpam)

2. (intransitive, figurative) to chit-chat, to jibber-jabber (to conduct meaningless or futile discussion)

   Synonym: празносло́вя (praznoslóvja)

3. (reflexive with се) to be prattled, to be said (for nonsense or futile arguments)

   Мно́го напра́зни при́казки се изпле́щиха... ― Mnógo naprázni príkazki se izpléštiha... ― A lot of futile words were said...

• изпле́щя pf (izpléštja), изпле́щвам impf (izpléštvam)
• запле́щя pf (zapléštja), запле́щвам impf (zapléštvam)
• напле́щя pf (napléštja), напле́щвам impf (napléštvam)
• попле́щя pf (popléštja), попле́щвам impf (popléštvam)
• разпле́щя се pf (razpléštja se), разпле́щвам се impf (razpléštvam se)

• “плещя¹”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “плещя”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• Duridanov, I. V., Racheva, M., Todorov, T. A., editors (1996), “плещя”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 5 (падѐж – пỳска), Sofia: Prof. Marin Drinov Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 351

Merger of Proto-Slavic *pleskati (cf. Old Church Slavonic плескати (pleskati, “to clap”)) and *plеščiti/*ploščiti (cf. Russian площи́ть (ploščítʹ, “to make flat”)).

пле́щя • (pléštja) first-singular present indicative, impf (dated, dialectal)

1. (transitive, obsolete) to flatten, to compress

   Synonyms: спле́сквам (spléskvam), пресо́вам (presóvam)

2. (dialectal, transitive, intransitive) to smear, to spread flat onto a surface

   Synonym: ма́жа (máža)

3. (transitive, intransitive, by extension) to clap, to tap, to thump, to spank

   Synonyms: пля́скам (pljáskam), плющя́ (pljuštjá), шла́кам (šlákam)

   пле́щя по ма́сата (intransitive) ― pléštja po másata ― to tap (make clapping noise) on the table

   пле́щя звъне́ц (transitive) ― pléštja zvǎnéc ― to ring a bell

   пле́щя ръце́ (transitive) ― pléštja rǎcé ― to clap hands

4. (transitive, expressive) to strike, to thwack, to hit

Originally (nowadays dialectal or obsolete):

More recently:

• пле́скам (pléskam) — a-conjugation
• пло́щя (plóštja) — with o-grade vocalism

• напле́щя pf (napléštja), напле́сквам impf (napléskvam, “to spread over, to smear chaotically”) (colloquial)
• опле́щя pf (opléštja), опле́сквам impf (opléskvam, “to mess, to screw up”)
• спле́щя pf (spléštja), спле́сквам impf (spléskvam, “to squash”)

• пле́скам impf (pléskam), пле́свам impf (plésvam), пле́сна pf (plésna, “to slam, to spoil”)
• пльо́свам (pljósvam, “to drop with a splash”)
• пле́сник (plésnik, “slap”)
• пло́сък (plósǎk, “flat”)

• “плещя², плещя³”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• Nayden Gerov, Тодор Панчев (1901) “пле́щѫ, -ешь; пле́скахъ (пле́свамь, пле́скамь, да пле́снѫ, пле́снувамь)”, in Рѣчникъ на Блъгарскꙑй язꙑкъ. Съ тлъкувание рѣчи-тꙑ на Блъгарскꙑ и на Русскꙑ. [Dictionary of the Bulgarian language]‎ (in Bulgarian), volume 4, Plovdiv: Дружествена печꙗтница "Съгласие.", page 43
• плескати in Исторически речник на Българския език, Sofia University "St. Clement Ohridsky"