грѣхъ

Forms

грѣхъ (grěxŭ) m, o-stem, Glagolitic ⰳⱃⱑⱈⱏ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *grěxъ (“sin”), a word of every Slavic language.^[2][3][1] The same word is Russian грех (grex), Ukrainian гріх (hrix), Bulgarian грях (grjah), Macedonian грев (grev), Serbo-Croatian grȇh, Czech hřích, Slovak hriech, Polish grzech, Upper Sorbian hrěch and Lower Sorbian grěch.^[2][3][4] A gloss in a Swiss manuscript of the first quarter of the 9th century may be the earliest record of any Slavic word.^[3]

ESJS calls it a word of Proto-Slavic date without a secure etymology, and ESSJa a Proto-Slavic new formation with no counterpart in the other Indo-European languages.^[2][5] Two explanations compete.^[2][4]

• It is derived from Proto-Slavic *grěti (“to heat”), first meaning the burning of conscience;^[2][4][3][6] Miklosich held this, and Vasmer thinks it the most likely, while Derksen notes that the root is often identified with that of the verb.^[2][4][3][6] Wiktionary connects it with горѣти (“to burn”).^[1] ESJS objects that the supposed model, a noun of motion beside its verb, is itself derived from a verb in -chati, which is not recorded here, and that the meaning ignores the original sense.^[2]
• It first meant a miss or a mistake and is related to Lithuanian graižus (“slanting”) and Latvian greizs (“crooked”), with a different extension of the root; this view goes back to Endzelīns and Iljinskij and is preferred by ESJS.^[2][4][1] ESJS finds traces of the older sense in погрѣшити (“to go astray, to err”), and Wiktionary in agricultural words for a strip left unploughed, such as dialectal Russian огрех (ógrex).^[2][1] The Christian sense of guilt and sin would then be a later shift.^[2]

Berneker's comparison with Ancient Greek χρίω (khríō, “to anoint”) Vasmer finds unconvincing, and ESJS lists several other comparisons as improbable.^[4][2] Vasmer also notes traces of an old u-stem in the OCS adjective грѣховьнъ.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it renders Ancient Greek ἁμαρτία (hamartía, “sin”), as in отъпоуштаѭтъ ти сѧ грѣси твои “your sins are forgiven you” (Mt 9:5, in the Codex Zographensis, the Codex Marianus, the Codex Assemanianus and the Savvina kniga).^[7] The Greek–OCS index of the SJS counts it for ἁμαρτία 37 times in the Zographensis and 38 times in the Marianus.^[8]

Semantic evolution

Besides ἁμαρτία it translates Ancient Greek ἁμάρτημα (hamártēma), πταῖσμα (ptaîsma), παράπτωμα (paráptōma), πλημμέλημα (plēmmélēma) and ἀνομία (anomía), often beside прѣгрѣшениѥ and съгрѣшениѥ.^[8][7][9] The phrase без грѣха means sinless or innocent, for ἀναμάρτητος (J 8:7) and ἀνεύθυνος, and по грѣхоу “unfortunately” in a legend of Wenceslas may be a Bohemism.^[8][2] In later texts грѣхомь also meant “unwittingly”, for ἀκουσίως.^[6]

Giltebrandt lists it in the Church Slavonic New Testament also for κρίμα, condemnation.^[10] The Church Slavonic verb грѣшити gave Romanian a greși “to err”.^[2]

Timeline

• First quarter of the 9th century – the gloss hreho in a Swiss manuscript, possibly the earliest record of the Slavic word.^[3]
• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses грѣхъ for ἁμαρτία, ἁμάρτημα, παράπτωμα, πλημμέλημα and πταῖσμα.^[9]
• 14th century – the Athonite Serbian translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for ἁμαρτία.^[9]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists its New Testament uses in Church Slavonic.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. sin; for ἁμαρτία, ἁμάρτημα.^[8][7][1]
2. An offence, wrongdoing, fault; for πταῖσμα, παράπτωμα, πλημμέλημα, ἔγκλημα.^[8][7]

Word family

• безгрѣшьнъ
• грѣховьнъ
• грѣшьница
• грѣшьничь
• грѣшьникъ
• грѣшьнъ
• погрѣшениѥ
• погрѣшити
• прѣгрѣшениѥ
• прѣгрѣшити
• съгрѣшати
• съгрѣшениѥ
• грѣшити
• съгрѣшити

Related words

• Russian грех (grex)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 201
3. ^ a b c d e f Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 187
4. ^ a b c d e f g Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 456–457
5. ^ 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. 7, 114
6. ^ a b c Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
7. ^ a b c d 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 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
9. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
10. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg