Metla and mesti (semantics and etymology)

The Russian noun metla alongside the continuations of Proto-Slavic *metъla in other Slavic languages denotes not only ‘a tool for sweeping’, but also various plants, especially such as have multiple branches or branchy stems. The article presents lexical evidence to substantiate the hypothesis that the original meaning of *metъla was ‘bundle, bunch’, and that the corresponding verb *mesti could mean ‘to tie, bind’. The latter meaning could have arisen on the basis of the primary meaning ‘to throw’ as the result of the verb’s entry into the sphere of spinning terminology.