Reconstructing the *telp- word family

 The paper presents an attempt at recovering genetic ties between lexical entities with the root *telp- scattered across Slavic languages. The starting point for research were Russ. dial. телепать and телепень, that, according to V. N. Toporov, reflect one of the grades in a morphonological series *telp- : *tolp- : *tъlp- (here belong hitt. Telepinuš ‘god of fertility’, luv. taluppi ‘lump’) with original semantic value ‘chaotic, erratic movement’ and ‘something lumped together’. Arguments are proposed in favor of linking Russ. dial. *tъlpa to Pol. tłopić się ‘to crowd, push’ on formal and semantic grounds. A hypothetical question is posed as to whether Russ. dial. толопа ‘animal path’, otherwise believed to be a borrowing, could also belong to this group.