The present article deals with Russian dialect words originating from the root *bъdr-. The material is analyzed in terms of motivational relationships between lexemes within the word family. The study shows that the key idea, which was an original one for the semantic development of the words from the root *bъdr- and is contained in the etymological meaning of the pre-Slavic root, is the idea of vital energy, force, activity. The article also refers to some lexemes which were formed during the further derivation inside the word family. The scope of meanings include emotions, objects, qualities, general appraisal, physical and psychological characteristics, behavior, different non-specialized actions. The continuants of the semantically related roots *vesel- and *dobr- are compared with the root in question. This comparison gives grounds for corroboration of some motivational models, as well as allows us to make some conclusions about the development of semantics of vital force plenitude in Russian dialects...