да

Forms

да (da)^[1] The Codex Zographensis and the Codex Marianus also write it до three times each.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *da.^[3][1][4][5] The same word is Russian да (da), Bulgarian да (da), Serbo-Croatian да (da), Slovene da and Polish da, as a conjunction “so that, that”, an optative particle “let” or a connective “and”; in Russian, Ukrainian, Old Czech and Slovak dialects it is also the adverb “yes”.^[3][6]

Most scholars derive it from the pronominal stem Proto-Indo-European *do-, the source of Old Prussian din (“him”) and Avestan dim (“him”), and take a case form of this stem to lie behind Latin dōnec (“while, until”), dēnique (“finally”) and Old High German zuo (“to”).^[3][6][7] ESJS and Vasmer also compare Ancient Greek δή (dḗ, “indeed”).^[3][6][7] Wiktionary takes it as probably the instrumental of Proto-Slavic *do (“to, until”), from Proto-Indo-European *doh₁ (“thus”).^[1] The preposition до comes from the same stem.^[3][7] ESJS explains the parallel particles and prepositions built on *to- by the same development of the two stems.^[3]

A different view, held by Prusík and Fraenkel and following W. Schulze, explains да “so that, let” as an old imperative “give!”, like Russian пусть (pustʹ, “let”) and давай (davaj, “come on”).^[6][1] ESJS thinks this unlikely, while Vasmer gives it beside the pronominal explanation.^[3][6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest Gospel manuscripts да most often renders Ancient Greek ἵνα (hína, “so that”), as in не осѫждаите, да не осѫждени бѫдете “do not judge, so that you are not judged” (Mt 7, 1 in the Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus and Savvina kniga).^[8][2] As a particle with the third person it expresses a wish or command: иже по срѣдѣ его да исходѧтъ “let those inside it go out” (L 21, 21, Zographensis and Marianus).^[2]

Semantic evolution

The SJS divides the conjunction into a final use “so that” (with the indicative or, rarely, the conditional), a consecutive “so that”, a rare declarative “that” and a copulative “and, then, and so”, and the particle into an optative “let, may”, an exhortative “well then”, a questioning да чьто “well, what then” and a rare use in the second half of a conditional.^[8] Да не renders ἵνα μή and μή “lest”.^[8] The Suprasliensis uses it in asides such as да тако рекѫ “so to speak”.^[2] Miklosich notes that in the Suprasliensis да with the indicative stands for an imperative, and that да ꙗко and да ꙗкоже mean “when” there.^[9] The SNSP counts more than 1,500 occurrences.^[2]

Dyachenko's Church Slavonic dictionary gives it the senses “so that; let; that; and; but; indeed; then”, with ꙗко да “so that”.^[10]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. so that, in order that; for ἵνα, ὅπως; with не, “lest”.^[8][2][1]
2. So that, with the result that; for ὥστε.^[8]
3. That, introducing what is said or asked (rare).^[8][1]
4. And, then, and so; for καί, δέ, οὖν.^[8]

Particle

1. Let, may, if only, expressing a wish or command with the third person (and the first); for the Greek imperative and optative.^[8][2][11]
2. Well then, so, in commands and questions (да чьто).^[8]

Word family

• даже

Related words

• до

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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
3. ^ 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, p. 121
4. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 94
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. 4, 179
6. ^ a b c d e Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 480
7. ^ a b c Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 225
8. ^ 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
9. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
10. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
11. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 18