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вѣра

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Forms

вѣра (věra) f, a-stem[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *věra (“faith, belief”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *wēˀrāˀ and Proto-Indo-European *weh₁reh₂, a derivative of *weh₁- (“true”).[1][2] The same word is Russian вера (vera), Ukrainian віра (vira), Belarusian вера (vjera), Bulgarian вяра (vjara), Macedonian вера (vera), Serbo-Croatian vjȅra, Slovene vę́ra, Czech víra, Slovak viera, Polish wiara, Upper Sorbian wěra and Lower Sorbian wěra.[2][3][1]

Its closest cognates are Latin vērus (“true”) and Old High German wāra (“treaty, loyalty, protection”).[2] Sadnik and Vasmer also compare Avestan words for believing and faith, Avestan var- and varəna-, and Vasmer adds Old Norse várar (“solemn vows”), Old High German wār (“true”), Old Irish fír (“true”) and Gothic 𐍄𐌿𐌶𐍅𐌴𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (tuzwērjan, “to doubt”).[4][3]

Hirt took the Slavic word as a loan from Germanic, but Kiparsky counts it as a native word, cognate with its supposed Germanic source.[5] Following Meillet, he argues that the archaic OCS compound meaning “unbelieving”, made with an old negative prefix, rules out a loan.[5] Meillet separated the word from the Latin adjective because the meanings differ too much and kept only the Iranian comparison, while Kiparsky objects that the Old Czech word also meant “truth” and that the Gothic verb shows the sense of belief.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest Gospel manuscripts, the Codex Zographensis, the Codex Marianus, the Codex Assemanianus and the Savvina kniga, вѣра translates Ancient Greek πίστις (pístis, “faith, trust”), as in по вѣрѣ ваю бѫди вама “let it be done to you according to your faith” (Mt 9, 29).[6] In a prayer of the Euchologium Sinaiticum the SJS sets it beside the Old High German phrase mit rehtan galoupon “with right faith” (Euch 72b 9).[6]

Semantic evolution

The SNSP counts more than 400 instances in the oldest manuscripts.[7] Besides faith and trust in someone, the word names a confession or religion, for Ancient Greek θρησκεία (thrēskeía) and Ancient Greek δεισιδαιμονία (deisidaimonía), and in the Codex Suprasliensis also a sect or heresy, for Ancient Greek αἵρεσις (haíresis).[6][7] The phrases вѣрѫ ѩти and вѣрѫ имати mean “to believe” (πιστεύειν), зълаꙗ вѣра is a false religion and благаꙗ вѣра is piety (εὐσέβεια).[6][7] The instrumental вѣроѭ can mean “willingly”, for προθύμως.[6]

In Serbian charters and chronicles Miklosich finds на вѣрѣ for a pledge on one's word, beside oaths.[8] Later Church Slavonic also used the word for faithfulness, as in вѣ́рꙋ бж҃їю “the faithfulness of God” (Rom 3, 3), and for the creed (сѷмво́лъ вѣ́ры).[9]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – вѣра renders πίστις and εὐλάβεια in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.[10]
  • 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for πίστις.[10]

Meanings

Noun

  1. faith, belief, trust; for πίστις.[6][7][1]
  2. A religion, confession; for θρησκεία, πίστις, δεισιδαιμονία.[6][7]
  3. A sect, heresy; for αἵρεσις.[6][7]

Word family

  • безвѣриѥ
  • благовѣриѥ
  • маловѣръ
  • невѣриѥ
  • невѣрьствиѥ
  • невѣрьство
  • правовѣриѥ
  • оувѣрити
  • оувѣровати
  • вѣрити
  • вѣрьствовати
  • вѣровати
  • въвѣрити
  • вѣрьнъ
  • невѣрьнъ
  • Russian вера (vera)

Usage notes

The SJS has a separate head вѣра for the name of the martyr Faith (Greek Πίστις), sister of Hope and Love, which occurs in the Slepče Apostle (Slepč 105a 14).[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 520
  3. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 292–293
  4. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 329
  5. ^ a b c Kiparsky, Valentin (1934), Die gemeinslavischen Lehnwörter aus dem Germanischen, Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae B XXXII,2, Helsinki, p. 90
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
  9. ^ Sedakova, O. A. (2005), Slovar' trudnyx slov iz bogosluženija: cerkovnoslavjano-russkie paronimy, Moskva: Grēko-latinskij kabinet Ju. A. Šičalina
  10. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de