болѣзнь

Forms

болѣзнь (bolěznĭ) f, i-stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *bolěznь (“sickness, disease”), made with the suffix *-znь from *bolěti (“to be ill, to ache”), the source of болѣти.^[1][2] The same noun is Russian болезнь (boleznʹ), Bulgarian болезън (bolezăn) and Serbo-Croatian bòlezan.^[1]

The verb has its cognates in every Slavic language, but ESJS finds no convincing etymology for it.^[2][3] Most compare Germanic words for evil and torment, Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (balwjan, “to torment”), Old High German balo (“ruin, evil”), Old English bealu and Old Norse bǫl (“misfortune”), with Old Cornish bal (“sickness”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- or *bʰol(H)-.^[2][4][3][1] Hirt's view that the Slavic verb was borrowed from Gothic has been given up.^[2][5] Vaillant tried to connect it with the comparative болии, which Vasmer finds unconvincing.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it renders Ancient Greek μαλακία (malakía) and ἀσθένεια (asthéneia): Christ gives the disciples power to heal вьсѣкъ недѫгъ • ꙇ вьсѣкѫ болѣзнь “every infirmity and every sickness” (Mt 10, 1) in the Zographensis, the Marianus and the Savvina kniga, while the Assemanianus has ѩѕѫ.^[6] In J 11, 4 Christ says of Lazarus си болѣзнь нѣстъ къ съмръти “this sickness is not unto death”.^[6][7]

Semantic evolution

The SJS gives two senses: sickness, for ἀσθένεια, μαλακία, Ancient Greek νόσος (nósos) and their synonyms, and pain or suffering, for Ancient Greek ἄλγος (álgos), ὀδύνη (odúnē), ὠδίν (ōdín) (the pains of birth) and πόνος (pónos).^[6] The second is common in the Codex Suprasliensis, as in плакаахѫ сѧ тѫжꙙште отъ болѣзни “they wept, grieving from the pain” (Supr 39, 15).^[6] The Euchologium already has both, beside the synonyms недѫгъ and ѩза.^[8] Sadnik glosses it “pain, sickness, need”.^[9] Giltebrandt's New Testament dictionary still lists both groups of senses.^[10]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium translation uses болѣзнь for νόσος, μαλακία, ἄλγος and ὀδύνη.^[8]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists it for νόσος, ὠδίς, ὀδύνη, ἀσθένεια and πόνος in the New Testament.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. sickness, disease; for ἀσθένεια, μαλακία, νόσος.^[6][7][1]
2. pain, suffering, also the pains of childbirth; for ἄλγος, ὀδύνη, ὠδίν, πόνος.^[6][1]

Word family

• болѣзньнъ

Related words

• болѣти
• Russian болезнь (boleznʹ)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 72
3. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 217
5. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 191
6. ^ a b c d e f Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
7. ^ a b 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
8. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
9. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 13
10. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg