великъ

Forms

великъ (velikŭ) (comparative болии)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *velikъ (“great, big”).^[2][1] The same word is Russian великий (velíkij), Ukrainian великий (velýkyj), Bulgarian велик (velík), Serbo-Croatian vèlik, Slovene vélik, Czech veliký, Slovak veľký, Polish wielki and Upper Sorbian wulki.^[1][2][3] Wiktionary analyses it as Proto-Slavic *velь with the suffix *-kъ.^[1]

Its further origin is disputed.^[3][2] Derksen traces the root of the Slavic adjectives for “big, great” to Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- and compares Latin valeō (“to be strong, to be well”), as Mladenov and Petr had done.^[2][3] Vasmer and Sadnik–Aitzetmüller, after Fraenkel and Benveniste, compare Tocharian A wäl (“king, prince”) and Tocharian B walo, and Ancient Greek ἅλις (hális, “enough”) and Ancient Greek εἴλω (eílō, “to press”).^[3][4] Miklosich and Holub connected it with велѣти and the word for will.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Savvina kniga has междю нами и вами пропасть велика оутврьди сѧ “between us and you a great gulf is fixed” (L 16, 26), for Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great”), where the Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus and Ostromir Gospels have вельꙗ, a form of велии.^[5] The Zographensis and Marianus have видиши ли великаꙗ си зданиꙗ “do you see these great buildings?” (Mc 13, 2).^[6]

Semantic evolution

Besides μέγας it renders Ancient Greek μακρός (makrós), Ancient Greek πολύς (polús), Ancient Greek κραταιός (krataiós), Ancient Greek βαρύς (barús) and other Greek adjectives.^[5][6] The SNSP distinguishes a strong wind (J 6, 18), a loud voice (великомь гласомь for μεγαλοφώνως) and a great or eminent person, as the great prophet of L 7, 16.^[6] The Gospels often alternate it with велии from manuscript to manuscript.^[5][6]

In the church calendar it names the days of Holy Week, as великꙑи пѧтъкъ “Good Friday”.^[7][8] The phrase великъ дьнь in the Savvina kniga and the Suprasliensis is a calque of Greek μεγάλη ἡμέρα; in Old Russian великдень meant Easter from the Ostromir Gospel to the 16th century, and it was borrowed into Latvian as lieldiena (“Easter”).^[9][8]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – великъ renders μέγας and μακρός in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.^[10]
• 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for μέγας, beside велии.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. great, big, large; for μέγας, μακρός, πολύς.^[5][6][1]
2. strong, violent (of wind); for κραταιός, βίαιος.^[6]
3. loud (of the voice).^[6]
4. Great, eminent, important.^[6]
5. (liturgy) In the names of the days of Holy Week and of Easter.^[7][8]

Word family

• невеликъ
• прѣвеликъ
• величати
• величити
• величьство
• величьствиѥ
• великодоушьнъ
• възвеличити

Related words

• велии
• вельможа
• велерѣчивъ

Usage notes

Wiktionary gives the suppletive comparative болии, while the SNSP records величаи, as in въ величаишѫѭ лаврѫ “to the greatest lavra” (Supr 293, 15).^[1][6][5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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. 514
3. ^ 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, 289
4. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 327
5. ^ a b c d e 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 h i 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 Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
8. ^ a b c Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
9. ^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 288
10. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de