вашь

Forms

вашь (vašĭ) m^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *vašь (“your (of several)”), the possessive of the second person plural.^[1][2] The same word is Russian ваш (vaš), Bulgarian ваш (vaš), Serbo-Croatian vȁš, Czech váš and Polish wasz.^[2][1]

The Proto-Slavic word continues Proto-Balto-Slavic *wōśjas, from Proto-Indo-European *wōsyos, an adjective formed from *wōs, the accusative of the second person plural pronoun.^[1][2][3] Within Slavic it can be analysed as *vasъ (“you (plural)”) with the possessive suffix *-jь.^[1] It is thus connected with вꙑ and the oblique forms of that pronoun, whose nominative was itself remodelled after them, the Indo-European nominative having been *yūs.^[3][2] Cognate pronouns are Old Prussian wans (“you (accusative plural)”) and Latin vōs (“you”), and Vasmer compares the Latin possessive vester (“your”).^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts the word translates the Greek genitive Ancient Greek ὑμῶν (humôn, “of you”) and the possessive Ancient Greek ὑμέτερος (huméteros, “your”), as in Pilate's words се цѣсарь вашь “behold your king” (J 19, 14, Codex Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus and the Ostromir Gospel).^[4] The SNSP counts more than 500 occurrences in the oldest manuscripts.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The canonical texts use it in all genders and numbers, for a thing belonging to several people addressed, as in ꙇмена ваша напьсана сѫтъ на небесехъ “your names are written in heaven” (L 10, 20) and рьцѣте же оубо къ богомъ вашимъ “speak then to your gods” (Codex Suprasliensis).^[5] It also renders ὑμέτερος in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.^[6]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. your, yours, belonging to several people addressed; for ὑμῶν, ὑμέτερος.^[4][5][1]

Related words

• вꙑ
• ваю
• ва
• Russian ваш (vaš)

Usage notes

The SNSP records a few places where вашь stands for a Greek σου “thy” or αὐτῶν “their”.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 281
3. ^ a b c Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 327
4. ^ a b Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
5. ^ a b c d 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
6. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de