Etymologically
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авити

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Forms

авити (aviti) pf[1] The manuscripts write it авити, ѣвити (Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus, Clozianus) and ꙗвити (Savvina kniga, Suprasliensis).[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *aviti (“to show, reveal”), a verb of all the Slavic languages, used also reflexively, beside the adverb *avě (“openly, manifestly”); how the adverb and the verb are related in word formation is not fully clear.[4][5][1] The same verb is Russian явить (javitʹ), Ukrainian явити (javyty), Bulgarian явя (javja), Serbo-Croatian jáviti, Slovene jáviti, Czech jevit and Polish jawić.[4][5][1]

ESJS and Wiktionary trace it to Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- (“to perceive”), and since Miklosich it has been compared with Sanskrit आविस् (āvís, “openly, manifestly”) and Avestan āviš, where the root is extended by *-is.[4][1][6] The same extension is seen in Ancient Greek ἀΐω (aḯō, “I hear”) and αἰσθάνομαι (aisthánomai, “I perceive”), and perhaps in Latin audiō (“I hear”), whose formation is less clear.[4][7][6] ESJS and Vasmer place the noun оумъ with the same root.[4][8]

Closest in formation are the archaic Lithuanian ovyje (“awake, in reality”) and ovytis (“to appear”), but it is disputed whether they are cognates, as Fraenkel held, or borrowings from Slavic, as Berneker and Trautmann thought.[4][6] Derksen is not convinced by Fraenkel's solution, which rests only on the presence or absence of an initial j.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels the verb renders Ancient Greek ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalúptō, “to reveal”), as in оутаꙇлъ еси си отъ прѣмѫдръꙇхъ ꙇ разоумънъꙇхъ • ꙇ авилъ ѣ еси младеньцемъ “you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes” (Mt 11, 25 Zogr), where the Marianus writes ѣвилъ.[3][2] Reflexive, it is used of an apparition, for ὤφθη: ави же сѧ емоу а‹н›ћ‹е›лъ г‹осподь›нь “and there appeared to him an angel of the Lord” (L 1, 11).[3]

Semantic evolution

The SJS divides the senses into revealing what is unknown or secret, above all the divine revelation, for ἀποκαλύπτειν and φανεροῦν; showing something to someone, for δεικνύναι, as in the Euchologium's ави нꙑнѣ мил‹о›сть твоѭ “show now your mercy” (Euch 25a 6); displaying a quality of the soul; and making clear, for δηλοῦν (1C 3, 13).[3][2] The reflexive covers appearing to someone, letting oneself be seen, as the hypocrites who pray at the street corners да ѣвѧтъ сѧ ч‹ловѣ›комъ “so that they may be seen by men” (Mt 6, 5), and simply turning up somewhere, as the tares in the parable (Mt 13, 26).[3] The Life of Methodius uses it for God revealing the Slavonic letters to the Philosopher: тоу ꙗви б‹ог›ъ философоу словѣньскꙑ книгꙑ.[3] Its past passive participle авлѥнъ serves as an adjective, “evident, known”.[3]

The Euchologium Sinaiticum already uses it for ὁρᾶσθαι, ἀναδεικνύναι, φαίνεσθαι and φανεροῦν.[9] Dyachenko's Church Slavonic dictionary records авити for revealing and making manifest from Jagić's edition of the Marianus.[10]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses авити for φαίνεσθαι, φανεροῦν and ἀναδεικνύναι.[9]
  • 1899 – Dyachenko records the form авити from the Marianus.[10]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To reveal, disclose something to someone, above all of divine revelation; for ἀποκαλύπτειν, φανεροῦν, ἐμφανίζειν.[3][2][1]
  2. (reflexive) To appear to someone, reveal oneself; for ὁρᾶσθαι, φαίνεσθαι.[3][2][1]
  3. To show something to someone; for δεικνύναι, ἀναδεικνύναι.[3][2][1]
  4. (reflexive) To show oneself, be seen; to turn up somewhere; for φαίνεσθαι.[3]
  5. To display, give proof of a quality; for ἐπιδείκνυσθαι.[3]
  6. To make evident, make clear; for δηλοῦν.[3][2]

Word family

  • авлꙗти
  • обавити
  • обавлꙗти
  • проавити
  • новоꙗвити
  • авьнъ
  • авѣ
  • оумъ
  • Russian явить (javitʹ)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Slovník nejstarších staroslověnských památek (digital ed., Gorazd, Slovanský ústav AV ČR, gorazd.org); cf. Cejtlin, R. M.; Večerka, R.; Blagova, É. (eds.) (1994), Staroslavjanskij slovar' (po rukopisjam X–XI vekov), Moskva: Russkij jazyk
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  4. ^ a b c d e f Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 52
  5. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 30
  6. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 4, 540
  7. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 212
  8. ^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 4, 161
  9. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
  10. ^ a b D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva