без

Forms

без (bez)^[1] In sandhi it is written бес before voiceless consonants, бе before с, з, ч, безд before р, беж before н҄ and бещ for без ч-;^[2][3] безъ, безь and безо occur too.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *bez (“without”), a preposition of all the Slavic languages;^[3][1] Polabian has it only as a prefix in place names.^[3][1] The same word is Russian без (bez), Ukrainian без (bez), Bulgarian без (bez), Serbo-Croatian bez, Czech bez, Polish bez and Upper Sorbian bjez.^[3][4][5] Derksen sets it up as *bez(ъ);^[4] Vasmer, following Rozwadowski, rejects Berneker's form with a final jer, which the Ukrainian vowel does not fit.^[5]

Its secure cognates are Lithuanian bè, Latvian bez and Old Prussian bhe, with the same meaning.^[3][6][4] The comparison with Sanskrit बहिस् (bahís, “outside”), made by Schmidt and Miklosich, is generally accepted as probable.^[3][6][5] ESJS thinks a Persian preposition for without less certain, and Schwyzer's Greek comparison unlikely.^[3]

Wiktionary traces the Proto-Slavic word to Proto-Balto-Slavic *beź, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰe, an instrumental particle, and *-ǵʰs (“out”); the first part is probably the one in Proto-Slavic *bo (“for”).^[1] Derksen reconstructs *bʰe-ǵʰ.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest Gospel codices it renders Ancient Greek ἄτερ (áter), χωρίς (khōrís) and ἄνευ (áneu), as in егда посълахъ вꙑ • безъ вълагалишта ꙇ бес пирꙑ • ꙇ бесапогъ “when I sent you without purse and scrip and shoes” (L 22, 35 Zogr Mar) and ꙇ беж н҄его ничьтоже не бꙑстъ “and without him was not anything made” (J 1, 3 Zogr As).^[7][2]

Semantic evolution

With the genitive it often stands for a Greek adjective with the privative ἀ-: бездразоума есте renders ἀσύνετοί ἐστε “are you without understanding” (Mt 15, 16 Zogr Mar), and бе штѧда “without children” renders ἄτεκνος (L 20, 30 Zogr).^[7] The Greek–OCS index records phrases of the same kind, без врѣда for ἀβλαβής in the Suprasliensis and без помощи for ἀβοήθητος in the Psalter.^[7] A second sense is “against, contrary to”, for παρά and οὐ κατά: без моѥго повелѣниꙗ “against my order” (Supr 121, 16).^[2][7] The euchologion translation, which SlaVaComp dates to the end of the 9th or beginning of the 10th century, uses it for adverbs such as ἀμέμπτως and for the privative prefix, beside не.^[8]

The longer безо is rare in Old Church Slavonic (Mt 10, 29 Zogr);^[7] Vasmer takes the Russian безо as a new formation, after pairs such as с and со.^[5]

Meanings

Preposition

1. (with the genitive) without, lacking; for ἄνευ, χωρίς, ἄτερ, δίχα.^[7][2][1]
2. Rendering a Greek privative adjective in ἀ-: without, -less.^[7][2]
3. against, contrary to, not according to; for παρά, οὐ κατά.^[2][7]

Word family

• бескврънъ

Related words

• Russian без (bez)

Usage notes

The same word is the prefix без-, бес- before voiceless consonants, which the SJS treats under a separate head.^[7] It forms adjectives that translate Greek privatives, as бескврънъ for ἄσπιλος “spotless” in the euchologion translation.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 59
4. ^ a b c d Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 144
6. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 214
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
8. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de