бити

Forms

бити (biti) impf, Glagolitic ⰱⰻⱅⰻ^[1] Present бьѭ, бьѥши or биѭ, биѥши.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *biti (“to beat”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *bī́ˀtei, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to beat”).^[1][3][4] ESJS explains the Slavic verb from the zero grade of this root.^[3] The same word is Russian бить (bitʹ), Bulgarian бия (bíja), Serbo-Croatian bȉti, Slovene bíti, Czech bít and Polish bić.^[3][4][5]

From the same root come Old Irish benaid (“to strike”) and Ancient Greek φιτρός (phitrós, “log, stake”), and perhaps Old High German bīhal (“axe”).^[3][4][5] ESJS calls the link with Avestan byente doubtful, because the meaning of the Avestan word is uncertain.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it translates Ancient Greek δέρω (dérō, “to flay, beat”) and Ancient Greek τύπτω (túptō, “to strike”), and Ancient Greek φραγελλόω (phragellóō, “to scourge”) in the Passion: ꙇсоуса же бивъ • прѣдастъ ꙇ да ꙇ распьнѫтъ “and when he had scourged Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified” (Mt 27, 26, Zographensis and Marianus).^[6][2]

Semantic evolution

The SJS gives four senses: “to beat”, specially “to scourge”, then “to punish, strike” (of God or of conscience), “to kill” (for φονεύειν), and the reflexive “to fight”.^[6] With камениѥмь it means “to stone”, for λιθάζειν.^[2] In бити сѧ for κόπτεσθαι “to mourn” (L 23, 27, Marianus and Zographensis), Schumann sees a semantic loan from Greek, whose verb first meant beating one's breast in grief.^[7] Miklosich records the same use, “to beat one's breast, lament”, in later Church Slavonic.^[8] ESJS sees the pair бити and тети as imperfective and perfective, after Meillet.^[3]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – it renders ῥαπίζειν in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.^[9]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists its New Testament uses for μαστίζειν, δέρειν and τύπτειν.^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To beat, to strike; for τύπτειν, δέρειν.^[6][2][1]
2. To scourge, whip; for φραγελλοῦν, μαστιγοῦν.^[6][2]
3. To punish, to strike (of God, conscience).^[6]
4. To kill; for φονεύειν.^[6][2]
5. (reflexive) To fight.^[6]

Word family

• възбити
• избити
• обити
• побити
• прѣбити
• разбити
• събити
• оубити
• оубииство
• оубиица
• избивати
• разбои
• бичь

Related words

• бивати
• оубиꙗти
• Russian бить (bitʹ)

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 63
4. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 41
5. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 169
6. ^ a b c d e f g Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
7. ^ Schumann, Kurt (1958), Die griechischen Lehnbildungen und Lehnbedeutungen im Altbulgarischen, Veröffentlichungen der Abteilung für slavische Sprachen und Literaturen des Osteuropa-Instituts an der Freien Universität Berlin 16, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, p. 25
8. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
9. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
10. ^ Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg