бѣсъ

Forms

бѣсъ (běsŭ) m, o-stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *běsъ (“demon, evil spirit”).^[1][2] The same word is Russian бес (bes), Bulgarian бяс (bjas, “rabies, demon”), Serbo-Croatian bȉjes (“rage”), Slovene bẹ̑s, Czech běs and Polish bies.^[2][3]

Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Balto-Slavic *baiˀsás (“someone frightening”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to fear”).^[1] Its nearest relatives are Lithuanian baisùs (“terrible”), baisà (“fear”) and Latvian baîss (“terrible”).^[2][3] Since both Slavic and Baltic point to a plain Balto-Slavic sibilant rather than a retroflex one, Derksen reports the suggestion that the root was Proto-Indo-European *bʰoiHdʰ-, with *bʰoiHdʰ-so- as the source and Latin foedus (“repulsive, terrible”) as a cognate.^[2] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller also connect it with foedus and, in the end, with боꙗти (“to fear”).^[4] Vasmer compares Ancient Greek πίθηκος (píthēkos, “ape”) as well, reports Trautmann's link with Lithuanian baidýti (“to frighten”) and Russian боя́ться (bojátʹsja, “to fear”), and rejects connections with бо́сый (bósyj, “barefoot”) and with Latin bestia (“beast”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels бѣсъ renders Ancient Greek δαιμόνιον (daimónion): еда бѣсъ можетъ • слѣпомъ очи отврѣсти “can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” (J 10, 21 Zogr Mar As Vat Ostr).^[5] It is frequent in the oldest manuscripts, more than two hundred times.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The word renders δαιμόνιον, δαίμων, διάβολος and πνεῦμα with ἀκάθαρτον “unclean spirit”, and in the Suprasliensis also the pagan gods to whom Christians were forced to sacrifice, for θεός (Supr 69, 2).^[5] Бѣсꙑ имѣти, literally “to have demons”, means to be possessed.^[6] SlaVaComp shows it beside демонъ and доухъ for δαίμων.^[7] In the later recensions the word kept these meanings: Giltebrandt glosses the Church Slavonic бѣ́съ of the New Testament as devil, demon, evil spirit.^[8]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses бѣсъ for δαίμων, beside доухъ and демонъ.^[7]
• 14th century – a Middle Bulgarian translation of the Athos–Tărnovo school has it for δαιμόνιον and δαίμων.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A demon, an evil spirit; for δαιμόνιον, δαίμων, πνεῦμα.^[5][6][1]
2. (Christianity) A pagan god; for θεός.^[5][1]

Word family

• бѣсити
• бѣсовьнъ
• бѣсовьскъ
• бѣсьнъ
• бѣшение
• бѣсованиѥ
• възбѣсьнѣти

Related words

• Russian бес (bes)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 40
3. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 160
4. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 214
5. ^ a b c d Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
6. ^ a b c 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
7. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
8. ^ Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg