Etymologically
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гнѣвъ

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Forms

гнѣвъ (gněvŭ) m, o-stem[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *gněvъ (“anger, wrath”), a word of all the Slavic languages.[2][1][3] The same word is Russian гнев (gnev), Bulgarian гняв (gnjav), Serbo-Croatian gnjȅv, Slovene gnẹ̀v, Czech hněv, Polish gniew and Upper Sorbian gněw.[2][3][4] ESJS calls its origin uncertain and weighs three explanations.[2]

The most common one connects it with *gniti (“to rot”), through a sense "pus, rot, poison in the body".[2][5] Derksen calls it probably a derivative of that verb with the o-grade of the root,[3] and Wiktionary likewise gives the o-grade of *gniti with the suffix *-vъ.[1] Vasmer finds the link probable because the Russian word also means "rot" in dialects, Church Slavonic once has the word for Ancient Greek σαπρία (sapría, “rottenness”), and Polabian has gnevoi "glands in fat or meat".[4] ESJS sees difficulties in the word formation, though the change of sense is quite possible.[2]

Kořínek and Machek instead start from a sense "kindling, inflaming of the mind" and relate it to *gnětiti (“to kindle”), Machek taking the noun as a back-formation from the verb гнѣвати.[2][4] Kořínek also considered that the Russian sense "rot" may be only a chance likeness in sound.[5] Schuster-Šewc, finally, takes the initial g as a prefix and compares Lithuanian néivoti (“to scold, despise”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is in the Gospels of the Codex Zographensis, the Codex Marianus and the Codex Assemanianus, for Ancient Greek ὀργή (orgḗ, “anger, wrath”): възърѣвъ на н҄ѧ съ гнѣвомь "looking round at them with anger" (Mc 3, 5).[6] The Zographensis and Marianus have it in гнѣвъ б‹о›жі прѣбꙑваетъ на н҄емь "the wrath of God remains on him" (J 3, 36).[7]

Semantic evolution

The word renders above all ὀργή and θυμός, but also πικρία "bitterness", παροργισμός "provocation", μανία, ἀπειλή "threat" and even σκάνδαλον.[6][7] The Codex Suprasliensis uses the phrase въ гнѣвѣ бꙑти "to be in anger" for ἐμμαίνομαι, and гнѣвъ дрьжати "to hold anger" for μνησίκακον εἶναι "to bear a grudge".[7] Giltebrandt records it in the Church Slavonic New Testament for ὀργή and παροργισμός, from воззрѣвъ на нихъ со гнѣвомъ "looking at them with anger" (Mc 3, 5) on.[8]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the word renders ὀργή in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.[9]
  • Up to the beginning of the 15th century – a Serbian translation of patristic texts from the Rila monastery uses it for ὀργή, beside ꙗрость.[9]
  • 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists its New Testament uses for ὀργή and παροργισμός.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. anger, wrath, fury; for ὀργή, θυμός, μανία.[6][7][1]
  2. Bitterness, provocation, threat; for πικρία, παροργισμός, ἀπειλή.[6][7]

Word family

  • гнѣвьнъ
  • безгнѣвьнъ
  • гнѣвьливъ
  • гнѣвити
  • разгнѣвити
  • гнѣвати
  • прогнѣвати
  • Russian гнев (gnev)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU
  3. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 168
  4. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 420
  5. ^ a b Georgiev, Vladimir I. et al. (eds.) (1971–), Bălgarski etimologičen rečnik, Sofija: Izdatelstvo na Bălgarskata akademija na naukite, p. 1, 257
  6. ^ a b c d 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 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. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
  9. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de