zdraviti

Zdraviti is a verb found in several South Slavic languages with the core meaning to heal, cure, or restore health. It covers actions that aim to cure illness, repair injuries, or support recovery, whether through medical treatment, rehabilitation, or natural healing.

Etymology: the word derives from a root zdr- connected with health; cognates exist across related languages, such as zdravje (health) in Slovene and zdravlje in other South Slavic varieties. The form zdraviti appears in dictionaries and in older or regional texts, and its exact frequency and nuance vary by language and era.

Regional usage: in Slovenian, zdraviti is a standard verb meaning to heal or treat medically and is used in everyday speech and medical language. In Croatian and Bosnian/Serbian, the everyday standard verbs for medical treatment are usually liječiti or lečiti; zdraviti is less common today and tends to occur in dialects, historical writing, or specific contexts. It can also appear with a broader sense of restoring health, rather than curing a disease, depending on the local variety and register.

See also: health, medicine, medical treatment; related linguistic notes include the connection to health-related terms across Slavic languages and how verb choices for healing reflect regional medical terminology and historical usage.