Etymologically
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дѣло

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Forms

дѣло (dělo) n, s-stem[1] Genitive дѣлесе or дѣла.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *dělo (“work, deed”).[3][1][5] The same word is Russian дело (delo, “business, matter”), Bulgarian дело (delo), Serbo-Croatian djelo, Czech dílo, Polish dzieło and Upper Sorbian dźěło, mostly meaning work or deed, and Polish also has działo (“cannon”).[3][5]

The usual view takes the noun as an l-derivative of Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, to make”), the root of дѣти, through Proto-Balto-Slavic *dḗˀlan.[3][1][5] The same root is seen in Ancient Greek τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, to set”), Latin faciō (“to make, to do”) and Old High German tuon (“to do”), and an l-formation of it in Lithuanian padėlỹs (“nest egg”) and priedėlė̃ (“appendix, supplement”).[3][6][1][7] Vasmer and Sadnik and Aitzetmüller record a second comparison, with Lithuanian dailė̃ (“art, craft”), ratadailė (“wheelwright”) and dailùs (“graceful”), which recalls the OCS compound дрѣводѣлꙗ (“carpenter”).[8][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts the word translates Ancient Greek ἔργον (érgon, “work, deed”), as in вьсѣ же дѣла своꙗ творѧтъ да видими бѫдѫтъ человѣкꙑ “but all their works they do to be seen of men” (Mt 23, 5, Codex Marianus, Zographensis, Assemanianus and Ostromir Gospel), and Christ's words дѣло съвръшихъ “I have finished the work” (J 17, 4).[9][2]

Semantic evolution

The canonical texts use the word for a deed or act, rendering also Ancient Greek πρᾶξις (prâxis) and Ancient Greek πρᾶγμα (prâgma), and in the plural благаꙗ дѣла “good deeds” for Ancient Greek ἀρετή (aretḗ, “virtue”).[9][2] It also means work or employment (Ancient Greek ἐργασία (ergasía)), and by synecdoche the earnings it brings, as in the slave girl who brought her masters much gain (A 16, 16).[9] A work or product is the third main sense, as in the idols that are дѣла рѫкъ человѣчь “the work of men's hands” (Ps 113, 12), and the fourth is a matter or affair.[9] In the confessional prayer of the Euchologium Sinaiticum, словомь ли дѣломь “in word or in deed”, the SJS notes the corresponding word Old High German werc in a parallel confession.[9]

Later Church Slavonic kept the senses of deed, creation and miracle, and a task or commandment entrusted to someone.[10][11] In Old Russian the word came to be used for war or a campaign, a use that survives in the phrase “he has not yet been in action” (не был ещё в деле).[10]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses дѣло for ἔργον, πρᾶξις, ἐργασία and ἐνέργεια.[12]
  • 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt records every New Testament use of the word in Church Slavonic.[13]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A deed, act; for ἔργον, πρᾶγμα, πρᾶξις.[9][2][1]
  2. work, employment, task; for ἔργον, ἐργασία.[9][1]
  3. Earnings, gain from work; for ἐργασία.[9]
  4. A work, product, creation; for ἔργον.[9][2]
  5. A matter, affair; for πρᾶγμα, ἔργον.[9][14]

Word family

  • дѣлати
  • дѣльникъ
  • дѣлатель
  • дѣлание
  • дѣти
  • дѣꙗти
  • дрѣводѣлꙗ
  • Russian дело (delo)

Usage notes

Без дѣла means “idle, ineffective”, for Ancient Greek ἄπρακτος (ápraktos) in the Codex Clozianus.[9][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c d e Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 103
  4. ^ a b Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
  5. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 496
  6. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 227
  7. ^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 496–497
  8. ^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 497
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  10. ^ a b D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
  11. ^ Sedakova, O. A. (2005), Slovar' trudnyx slov iz bogosluženija: cerkovnoslavjano-russkie paronimy, Moskva: Grēko-latinskij kabinet Ju. A. Šičalina
  12. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
  13. ^ Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
  14. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton