волꙗ

Forms

волꙗ (volja) f, a-stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *voľa (“will, wish”), a feminine jā-stem of accent paradigm b.^[2][1] The same word is Russian воля (volja), Bulgarian воля (volja), Serbo-Croatian vȍlja, Slovene vǫ́lja, Czech vůle, Slovak vôľa, Polish wola and Upper Sorbian wola.^[2][3][1]

Wiktionary traces it through Proto-Balto-Slavic *wáljāˀ to Proto-Indo-European *wol-yeh₂,^[1] and Derksen sets up an Indo-European *uol(H)-(e)ih₁, perhaps a proterodynamic ih₁-stem as Kortlandt suggests, and the verb волити (“to want, to wish”) goes back to the same root, *uel(H)-.^[2] Vasmer connects it by ablaut with Russian велеть (velet’) and довлеть (dovlet’), and compares Lithuanian valià (“will”), Latvian val̨a (“power, authority”), Old Norse val (“choice”), Old High German wala (“choice”), German Wahl and wollen (“to want”) and Indo-Iranian words for wish and choice.^[3] Derksen too cites the Old High German word.^[2] The Bulgarian etymological dictionary gives the noun the same origin as the verb, which it compares with Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (waljan, “to choose”) and wellan.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is frequent from the oldest manuscripts on: SNSP counts more than 200 uses, chiefly for Ancient Greek θέλημα (thélēma, “will”), also for βούλημα (boúlēma), βούλησις (boúlēsis), προαίρεσις (proaíresis) and γνώμη (gnṓmē).^[5] In the Lord's Prayer of the Codex Zographensis and the Codex Marianus it renders θέλημα: да бѫдетъ вол҄ѣ твоѣ “thy will be done” (Mt 6, 10).^[6]

Semantic evolution

The SJS distinguishes the will as a faculty of the mind, an act or object of will (a decision, an intention, a wish or desire), a favourable decision or good pleasure, rendering Ancient Greek εὐδοκία (eudokía) (Mt 11, 26), and freedom of action, for Ancient Greek ἔνδοσις (éndosis) in the Codex Suprasliensis.^[6] Fixed phrases include отъ волѩ “by one's will”, без волѩ “without consent” and the adverbial instrumental волеѭ “willingly”, for Ancient Greek ἑκών (hekṓn) and ἑκουσίως (hekousíōs).^[6][5] Волѭ имѣти means “to agree, to consent”, for Ancient Greek συνευδοκεῖν (suneudokeîn) (L 11, 48).^[5] Miklosich also records the sense “freedom” in later Serbian Church Slavonic texts.^[7]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum renders Ancient Greek βούλησις (boúlēsis) and προαίρεσις (proaíresis) with волꙗ.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. will, the faculty of willing.^[6][5][1]
2. An act of will: a decision, an intention; for θέλημα, βούλημα, γνώμη, προαίρεσις.^[6][5]
3. A wish or desire; for θέλημα, πόθος.^[6]
4. A favourable decision, good pleasure; for εὐδοκία.^[6]
5. freedom of action, leave; for ἔνδοσις.^[6][1]

Word family

• вольнъ
• невольнъ

Related words

• волити
• изволити
• благоволити
• доволити
• довольнъ
• довьлѣти
• Russian воля (volja)

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. 525
3. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 347–348
4. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I. et al. (eds.) (1971–), Bălgarski etimologičen rečnik, Sofija: Izdatelstvo na Bălgarskata akademija na naukite, p. 1, 175
5. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c d e f g h Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
7. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
8. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de