If "ь" was originally a vowel (which it was), then "медведь" could be reconstructed as "медведи" or "медведе." Given that the word exists as the Ukrainian surname "Medvid", we can also consider the forms "медвиди" or "медвиде."
Would "медвиде" not mean "one who performs the action 'dvid'"? Yes, it would—since "ме + root + е" is a Georgian construction used to denote a doer of an action (often a profession).
So, what is the verb "dvid-"? It appears in Otari Kajaia’s dictionary as "dvidua" (დვიდუა), where "-ua" is the ending. Its meaning is "to tear in half" (უშნოდ გლეჯა, პატვა, წყვეტა). Notably, "ushnod" means "terribly"—so it’s not just "to tear" but "to tear apart violently."
Thus, "Medvid" literally translates to "one who tears in half."
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