The
Proto-Slavic root
*jarъ (
jar,
yar), from
Proto-Indo-European *yōr-,
*yeh₁ro-, from
*yeh₁r-, means "spring" or "summer", "strong", "furious", "imbued with youthful life-force". This youthful life-force was considered sacred in the Slavic pre-Christian religion and the god personifying this sacred force was thus called Jarovit, or
hypocoristically Jarilo. ==Sources==