жена

Forms

жена (žena) f, a-stem, Glagolitic ⰶⰵⱀⰰ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *žena (“woman, wife”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *génāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn.^[1][2] The same word is Russian жена (žena), Bulgarian жена (žena), Serbo-Croatian žèna, Slovene žéna, Czech žena, Polish żona and Upper Sorbian žona;^[2][3] Polish has only the sense wife, and Russian keeps woman only in poetry.^[2][3]

Its Baltic relative is Old Prussian genno (“woman (vocative)”).^[2][3] Further cognates are Gothic 𐌵𐌹𐌽𐍉 (qinō, “woman, wife”), Ancient Greek γυνή (gunḗ, “woman”), Old Irish ben (“woman”) and Avestan gənā (“woman”).^[2][3][4] Derksen reconstructs the Indo-European form as *gʷen-eh₂.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels of the Codex Zographensis and the Codex Marianus it renders Ancient Greek γυνή (gunḗ) in both its senses, as at Cana, чьто естъ мьнѣ и тебѣ жено “woman, what have I to do with you?” (J 2, 4), and for a wife, повелѣ господь его да продадѧтъ и и женѫ его и чѧда “his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children” (Mt 18, 25).^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

The SJS divides the senses into woman, for γυνή, γύναιον and τὸ θῆλυ, the female (мѫжа и женѫ сътворилъ ꙗ естъ богъ “God made them male and female”, Mc 10, 6), and wife, for γυνή, γαμετή, σύμβιος and μνηστή.^[5][6] In Giltebrandt's dictionary of the Church Slavonic New Testament the word also takes the special meanings of the Bride of Christ, the Church (Ap 19, 7), and of the Mother of God (J 2, 4 and 19, 26).^[7] Sedakova's examples from the liturgy include благословена ты въ женахъ “blessed are you among women” (L 1, 28), and Dyachenko gives both spouse (συμβία) and woman (γυνή).^[8][9]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – жена renders γυνή in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.^[10]
• 14th century – the Athonite Serbian translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for γυνή.^[10]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists its New Testament uses, with the special senses of the Church and of the Mother of God.^[7]
• 1899 – Dyachenko glosses it as spouse and woman.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A woman; the female; for γυνή, γύναιον, τὸ θῆλυ.^[5][6][1]
2. A wife; for γυνή, γαμετή, σύμβιος, μνηστή.^[5][6][1]

Word family

• женити
• оженити
• женихъ
• жениховъ
• женьскъ

Related words

• Russian жена (žena)
• Ancient Greek γυνή (gunḗ)

Usage notes

In Church Slavonic жена means any woman, a maiden included, whereas Russian жена (žena) now means a wife: Sedakova counts it among the Church Slavonic words a Russian reader easily misunderstands.^[8][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 46
4. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 339
5. ^ 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
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
8. ^ a b Sedakova, O. A. (2005), Slovar' trudnyx slov iz bogosluženija: cerkovnoslavjano-russkie paronimy, Moskva: Grēko-latinskij kabinet Ju. A. Šičalina
9. ^ a b D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
10. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de