Etymologically
Log in

вѣчьнъ

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 04:16. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

вѣчьнъ (věčĭnŭ)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *věčьnъ (“eternal”), an adjective from Proto-Slavic *věkъ (“age”) + *-ьnъ; within OCS it is вѣкъ (“age”) with the suffix -ьнъ (-ĭnŭ).[1] The same word is Russian вечный (večnyj), Ukrainian вічний (vičnyj), Bulgarian вечен (večen), Serbo-Croatian vȅčan, Czech věčný, Slovak večný and Polish wieczny.[1][2]

The noun *věkъ goes back to Proto-Balto-Slavic *wáikas and to Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to overcome”).[1] Its cognates are Lithuanian viẽkas (“strength, life”) and veĩkti (“to act, do”), Latvian vèikt (“to strive for, overcome”), Old Norse veig (“strength”), Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 (weihan, “to fight”), Old High German wîgan (“to fight”) and Latin vincō (“to conquer”).[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest Gospel manuscripts it renders Ancient Greek αἰώνιος (aiṓnios, “eternal”), as in идѫтъ си въ мѫкѫ вѣчьнѫѭ • а правьдьници въ животъ вѣчьнъꙇ “these shall go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Mt 25, 46, Codex Zographensis, Codex Marianus and others).[4] The Kiev Missal has it for Latin aeternus, in вѣчьнꙑ боже “eternal God”.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

Besides “eternal”, for αἰώνιος, Ancient Greek ἀΐδιος (aḯdios) and συναΐδιος (sunaḯdios), the word means “age-old, ancient”, for Greek ὁ ἀπ’ αἰῶνος (Cloz, Supr), and “continual, perpetual”, for Ancient Greek ἀέναος (aénaos) in the Codex Suprasliensis.[4][5] Its fixed phrase животъ вѣчьнꙑи “eternal life” also renders Latin immortalitas.[5] SlaVaComp records it for αἰώνιος and ἀΐδιος in the Euchologium Sinaiticum, beside присносꙑ and the compound прѣвѣчьнъ.[6]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – вѣчьнъ renders αἰώνιος and ἀΐδιος in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.[6]
  • Before the early 15th century – a Serbian patristic text of the Rila Monastery has it for αἰώνιος.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. eternal, everlasting; for αἰώνιος, ἀΐδιος.[4][5][1]
  2. age-old, existing from of old.[5][1]
  3. continual, lasting, perpetual; for ἀέναος.[4][5][1]

Word family

  • прѣвѣчьнъ

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 286
  3. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 329
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de