бꙑвати

Forms

бꙑвати (byvati) impf^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *byvati (“to be, to happen”), a by-form of *byti (“to be”) with the suffix *-vati.^[2][1] ESJS lists it among the derivatives of бꙑти.^[3] The same word is Russian бывать (byvatʹ), Bulgarian бивам (bívam), Serbo-Croatian bívati, Slovene bívati, Czech bývat and Polish bywać, meaning to be or to happen, in Polish to be often.^[2][1] Outside Slavic it matches the dialectal Lithuanian buvóti (“to be”).^[2][1]

Through its base verb it goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to grow, to become”).^[1][2] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller compare the family with būti (“to be”), Ancient Greek φύομαι (phúomai, “to grow”) and Latin fuī (“I have been”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Gospel codices use бꙑвати for Ancient Greek γίγνεσθαι (gígnesthai, “to become, happen”): нъ паче мльва бꙑваетъ “but rather a tumult was arising” (Mt 27, 24 Zogr Mar As Sav).^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Its senses in the canonical texts are to happen or come about, the present participle meaning coming or future (тѣло бꙑвающеѥ, “the body that shall be”, 1C 15, 37); to take place as a rule, as in the calendar of the Codex Assemanianus, where a saint's memory “takes place” on a day; to stay or remain, for μένειν, rarely; to arise from something; and to become, as in бꙑваетъ дрѣво “it becomes a tree” (Mt 13, 32 Zogr Mar).^[5][6] It also serves as a copula and as an auxiliary of the passive.^[5][6] The prefixed прѣбꙑвати is the usual word for remaining.^[5] Dyachenko glosses the later Church Slavonic word as to be found, to happen, for γίγνεσθαι.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To happen, occur, come about; for γίγνεσθαι.^[5][6][1]
2. To be usually, to take place regularly.^[5][6]
3. To become; for γίγνεσθαι, καθίστασθαι.^[5][6][1]
4. To arise or come from something.^[5]
5. To remain, stay; for μένειν.^[5]
6. To be, as a copula and as an auxiliary of the passive.^[5][6][1]

Word family

• забꙑвати
• избꙑвати
• прибꙑвати
• прѣбꙑвати
• прѣбꙑваниѥ

Related words

• бꙑти
• Russian бывать (byvatʹ)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
3. ^ Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 88
4. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 219
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 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
7. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva