жрьтва

Forms

жрьтва (žrĭtva) f, a-stem^[1] The SJS and Sadnik–Aitzetmüller write it жрътва.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *žьrtva (“sacrifice”), a noun in *-tva from the verb Proto-Slavic *žьrti (“to sacrifice”), OCS жрьти.^[4][1] The same word is Russian жертва (žertva), Bulgarian жертва (žertva), Serbo-Croatian žȑtva and Slovene žȓtva;^[4][1] Vasmer and the Bulgarian etymological dictionary take the Russian form, with е for ё, as a borrowing from Church Slavonic.^[5][6] Romanian jertfă comes from the OCS word.^[1]

The verb goes back to Proto-Balto-Slavic *girʔ- and Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- (“to praise”).^[4][1] Its cognates are Lithuanian gìrti (“to praise”), Latvian dzir̃t (“to praise”) and Old Prussian girtwei (“to praise”), Sanskrit गृणाति (gṛṇā́ti, “to praise, invoke”) and Latin grātus (“pleasing, thankful”).^[7][5][4] Wiktionary also records an older view from *gʷer- (“to raise the voice”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it renders Ancient Greek θυσία (thusía, “sacrifice”), as in вьсѣка жрътва солиѭ осолитъ сѧ “every sacrifice shall be salted with salt” (Mc 9, 49, Codex Zographensis and Codex Marianus).^[8] SNSP counts 99 uses, most often spelled жрътва.^[8]

Semantic evolution

The SJS finds the word most often of pagan sacrifice in the Codex Suprasliensis, and also of the Jewish sacrifices of the Old Testament.^[2] Its phrases include жрътва бескръвьнаꙗ “the unbloody sacrifice”, for Ancient Greek θυσία ἀναίμακτος (thusía anaímaktos), жрътва кръваваꙗ “bloody sacrifice”, жрътва мрътвꙑихъ “sacrifice to the dead (gods)”, for θυσία νεκρῶν (Ps 105, 28), жрътва о грѣсѣхъ “sin offering” (Hb 5, 1) and жрътва правьдꙑ “sacrifice of righteousness” (Ps 4, 6).^[2][8] It also renders Ancient Greek σπονδή (spondḗ, “libation”), προσφορά (prosphorá) and θῦμα (thûma).^[2][8]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the word appears in a patristic translation from the western regions of the First Bulgarian Empire.^[9]
• Beginning of the 10th – 11th century – a translation from the eastern, Preslav regions of the First Bulgarian Empire renders θυσία with it.^[9]
• Before the early 15th century – a Serbian patristic text of the Rila Monastery uses it for θυσία.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sacrifice, above all a pagan or Old Testament sacrifice; for θυσία, θῦμα.^[2][8][1]
2. An offering, a libation; for σπονδή, προσφορά.^[2][8][1]
3. (liturgy) The unbloody sacrifice of the Eucharist, in жрътва бескръвьнаꙗ.^[2]

Word family

• жрьтвьникъ
• жрьтвьнъ

Related words

• жрьць
• жрьти
• Russian жертва (žertva)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
3. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
4. ^ a b c d Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 566
5. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 50
6. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I. et al. (eds.) (1971–), Bălgarski etimologičen rečnik, Sofija: Izdatelstvo na Bălgarskata akademija na naukite, p. 1, 537–538
7. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 340
8. ^ a b c d e f 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
9. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de