дрѣво

Forms

дрѣво (drěvo) n, s-stem, Glagolitic ⰴⱃⱑⰲⱁ^[1] Genitive дрѣва, or, as an s-stem chiefly in the Codex Suprasliensis, дрѣвесе, with the plural дрѣвеса.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *dervo (“tree, wood”), originally an o-stem; the s-stem forms are secondary.^[2][1][5] The same word is Russian дерево (derevo), Ukrainian дерево (derevo), Serbo-Croatian drȉjevo, Slovene drevô, Czech dřevo, Slovak drevo, Polish drzewo and Upper Sorbian drjewo.^[2][4] In the South Slavic languages it means only “tree”, in West Slavic, Belarusian and Ukrainian both “tree” and “wood”, and in Russian “tree”, rarely “wood”.^[2]

It continues an Indo-European noun Proto-Indo-European *derwo- (“tree, wood”), one of the forms of *dóru.^[2][1] Its relatives are Lithuanian dervà (“resinous pine wood”), Latvian darva (“tar”), Ancient Greek δόρυ (dóru, “tree, wood, beam, spear”), δρῦς (drûs, “tree, oak”), Welsh derwen (“oak”), Old Irish derucc (“acorn”) and Hittite taru- (“wood”); the zero grade of the root gave Gothic 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌿 (triu, “tree”) and the English word tree.^[2][6][4] Derksen considers the laryngeal that the Baltic forms point to an innovation of Baltic.^[5] Osthoff, Friedrich and Gamkrelidze–Ivanov held that the word first meant oak wood or the oak, and Kuhn explained it as “what the bark is stripped from”, from the root of дьрати (“to tear, flay”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts it is a tree, for Ancient Greek δένδρον (déndron, “tree”), as in тако всѣко дрѣво добро • плодꙑ добрꙑ творитъ “so every good tree bears good fruit” (Mt 7, 17 Zogr Mar As Ostr).^[7]

Semantic evolution

The second sense, wood as a material, translates Ancient Greek ξύλον (xúlon, “wood”), as in the Codex Suprasliensis сии бо бози ѧже мѣниши • камениѥ и дрѣво и мѣдь и желѣза сѫтъ “for these gods that you believe in are stone and wood and bronze and iron” (Supr 177, 2).^[7][3] The same Greek word gives the sense of a stake or club, for the clubs of the men who came to arrest Christ (Supr 412, 12), where the Gospels have other words.^[7] Figuratively the wood is the Cross, as in поклонение чьстьнаго дрѣва “the veneration of the precious wood” in the Savvina kniga;^[3][8][1] Wiktionary also gives it as an object of pagan worship.^[3][8][1]

According to ESJS, the archaic and poetic Russian древо (drevo), with the plural древеса, comes from Church Slavonic, beside the native дерево (derevo).^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A tree, a bush; for δένδρον, ξύλον.^[7][3][1]
2. wood (the material); for ξύλον.^[7][3][1]
3. A stake, a club; for ξύλον.^[7][3][1]
4. (Christianity) The cross of the Crucifixion.^[3][8][1]
5. (paganism) An object of worship.^[1]

Word family

• дрѣвѣнъ
• дрѣвьнъ
• бездрѣвьнъ
• дрѣводѣла

Related words

• дръва
• Russian дерево (derevo)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU
3. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
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, 502
5. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 99
6. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 230
7. ^ a b c d e f 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 Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton