възѧти

Forms

възѧти (vŭzęti) pf^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *vъzęti (“to take”), the verb *ęti (“to take”) with the prefix *vъz- (“up”); within Old Church Slavonic it is the prefix въз- with ѩти.^[1][2] The same word is Russian взять (vzjatʹ), Ukrainian взяти (vzjaty), Serbo-Croatian uzeti, Czech vzít, Polish wziąć and Slovak vziať.^[1][3] ESJS notes that the simple verb survives only in a few languages, while the prefixed forms are found everywhere; it is the ingressive partner of the stative имѣти.^[2]

The root goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take”),^[4][1] whose nearest relatives are Lithuanian im̃ti (“to take”), Latvian jemt and Old Prussian īmt, with Latin emō (“to buy, originally to take”).^[2][4][5][3] The connection with Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (niman, “to take”) and Ancient Greek νέμω (némō, “to allot, pasture”) is disputed: older scholars accepted it, Sadnik thinks it likely, J. Schmidt doubted the Greek one, and ESJS prefers three separate roots that influenced one another through their similar meanings.^[2][5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it translates Ancient Greek αἴρω (aírō, “to lift, take up”) and λαμβάνω (lambánō, “to take”): възьми одръ твои ꙇ иди въ домъ твои “take up thy bed and go unto thine house” (Mt 9, 6 Zogr Mar As Sav).^[6][7]

Semantic evolution

The SJS orders its senses as “take, grasp, pick up”, “receive, get” (λαμβάνειν, δέχεσθαι, κομίζεσθαι: вьзꙙлъ оубо бимь свое съ лихвоѭ “I would have received mine own with usury”, Mt 25, 27 Zogr Mar As Sav), “take away, remove” (възъмѣте оубо отъ н҄его таланⸯтъ “take the talent from him”, Mt 25, 28) and “lift up” (вьзьмѣте врата “lift up your gates”, Ps 23, 7 Sin); reflexively it means “to rise, be lifted up”.^[7] The SNSP adds “to hold, contain”, of a vessel (Supr 307, 27).^[6] Phrases include възѧти комъканиѥ or въсѫдъ “to receive Holy Communion”, for κοινωνεῖν, въ заимъ възѧти “to borrow” (Mt 5, 42 Sav, where the other codices have заѩти), съвѣтъ възѧти “to take counsel” and възѧти мънишьскꙑи образъ “to become a monk”.^[7]

Its imperfective is възимати or възьмати.^[2] Church Slavonic възимати “to take, take away” gave Russian взимать (vzimatʹ, “to levy (dues)”).^[2] SlaVaComp records възѧти for λαμβάνειν and αἴρειν in the euchologion translation and in Serbian translations of the 14th and early 15th centuries.^[8]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – възѧти renders λαμβάνειν, ἀναλαμβάνειν and αἴρειν in the Slavonic euchologion translation.^[8]
• 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for λαμβάνω.^[8]
• Up to the beginning of the 15th century – a Serbian patristic translation of the Rila Monastery uses it for λαμβάνω and ἀναλαμβάνω.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. (perfective) to take, grasp, pick up; for αἴρειν, λαμβάνειν.^[7][6][1]
2. To receive, get, accept; for λαμβάνειν, δέχεσθαι, κομίζεσθαι.^[7][6]
3. To take away, remove; for αἴρειν, περιαιρεῖν.^[7]
4. To lift up, raise; reflexive, to rise; for αἴρειν, ἐπαίρειν.^[7]
5. To hold, contain.^[6]
6. възѧти комъканиѥ, въсѫдъ: to receive Holy communion; for κοινωνεῖν.^[7][6]

Word family

• възимати
• възьмати

Related words

• ѩти
• имати
• имѣти
• приѩти
• изѧти
• отѧти
• Russian взять (vzjatʹ)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 291
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, 311
4. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 233
6. ^ a b c d e f 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 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
8. ^ a b c d SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de