Etymologically
Log in

глаголати

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 25 October 2026 at 03:30. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

глаголати (glagolati) impf, Glagolitic ⰳⰾⰰⰳⱁⰾⰰⱅⰻ[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *golgolati (“to speak”), formed with *-ati from Proto-Slavic *golgolъ (“speech, word”), the source of the noun глаголъ.[2][1][3] ESJS points out that the direction of derivation is not certain: the verb need not be a denominative, and some scholars take the noun as formed from the verb instead.[4] The same verb is Serbo-Croatian glagòlati (“to speak, tell”), Czech hlaholati (“to make a noise, talk”), Macedonian гла́голи (glágoli) and Russian глаголить (glagolitʹ).[2][1][3]

The noun is a reduplicated, intensive formation from the root *gol-, which also gave Proto-Slavic *golsъ (“voice”) and so OCS гласъ.[5][2][1] ESJS traces it, with the greatest probability, to an imitative Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *gal- (“to shout”), doubled.[4] ESJS and Wiktionary compare Sanskrit गर्गर (gargara, “a kind of musical instrument”), and ESJS also Hittite galgalturi (“cymbals”), but ESJS warns that for an imitative root such likenesses are not proof of kinship, and Vasmer doubts the Sanskrit comparison because the Sanskrit r goes back to an Indo-European r.[4][1][6] Vasmer and Derksen compare instead Welsh galw (“to call”), and Vasmer also Old Norse kalla (“to call”).[6][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is common in all the canonical manuscripts; the oldest Gospel codices use it for Ancient Greek λαλέω (laléō, “to talk”) and Ancient Greek λέγω (légō, “to say”), as in си въ притъчахъ глаголахъ вамъ “these things I have spoken to you in parables” (J 16, 25 in the Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus and Savvina kniga).[7][8]

Semantic evolution

Besides “to speak, say, tell” the SJS records the sense “to name, to call”, for λέγειν and φωνεῖν: юже не глаголѭ вамъ рабъ “no longer do I call you servants” (J 15, 15).[7] With an adverb it renders Greek compounds: лихо глаголати for βατταλογεῖν “to babble” (Mt 6, 7), въпрѣкꙑ or противѫ глаголати for ἀντιλέγειν “to speak against” (Suprasliensis), прѣжде глаголати for προλέγειν “to foretell” and ꙗсно глаголати for τρανολογεῖν “to speak plainly”.[7] The SNSP counts more than 3,500 occurrences in the oldest manuscripts, and lists some thirty Greek verbs it translates.[8]

Later Church Slavonic kept the verb: Dyachenko glosses it “to speak, to tell” and notes that it sometimes means “to promise” (Lk 1, 55 and 70), and Giltebrandt lists it for λέγειν and λαλεῖν throughout the New Testament.[9][10]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses глаголати for λαλεῖν, λέγειν and διηγεῖσθαι.[11]
  • 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for λαλέω and λέγω.[11]
  • 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists its New Testament uses for λέγειν and λαλεῖν.[10]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To speak, talk, say or tell; also to announce; for λαλεῖν, λέγειν.[7][8][1]
  2. To name, to call someone something; for λέγειν, φωνεῖν.[7]

Word family

  • глаголаниѥ
  • изглаголати
  • неглаголаниѥ
  • оглаголаниѥ
  • оглаголати
  • проглаголати
  • съглаголати
  • глаголъ
  • гласъ
  • Russian глаголить (glagolitʹ)

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. 174
  3. ^ a b Trubačev, Oleg N.; Žuravlev, Anatolij F.; Varbot, Žanna Ž. (eds.) (1974–2021), Ètimologičeskij slovar' slavjanskix jazykov: praslavjanskij leksičeskij fond, vols. 1–42, Moskva: Nauka, p. 6, 204
  4. ^ a b c Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU
  5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 235
  6. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 430
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b c 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
  9. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
  10. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
  11. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de