иже

Forms

иже (iže)^[1] Feminine ꙗже, neuter ѥже; after prepositions with н- (нѥгоже, ньже).^[2][3] The Zographensis also writes ижь.^[4][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *jь že (“who”), the pronoun Proto-Slavic *jь with the particle *že, in OCS и with же.^[1][3][5] In the other Slavic languages the same compound became relative pronouns, as Czech jenž, and conjunctions "that, because", as Czech že, Polish że and iż, Serbo-Croatian jer and Slovene ker.^[3][5][1][6] In Russian иже is a borrowing from Church Slavonic.^[3]

The Slavic pronoun is held to be a merger, perhaps already in Balto-Slavic, of two Indo-European pronouns: the anaphoric Proto-Indo-European *i- (“he, that”), seen in Latin is, Gothic 𐌹𐍃 (is) and Lithuanian jis, and the relative *yós (“who”), seen in Ancient Greek ὅς (hós).^[3][7][8] Since the merged pronoun had lost its relative mark, the particle was added to make it a relative.^[3] Derksen sets up *yo- with *gʷʰe for the compound.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Gospels use иже as the relative pronoun, as in подобьнъ естъ чловѣкоу зиждѫштю храминѫ • ꙇже ꙇскопа ꙇ оуглѫби “he is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep” (L 6, 48 Zogr Mar), for Greek ὃς ἔσκαψεν.^[4] It renders Ancient Greek ὅς (hós), ὅστις (hóstis) and ὅσπερ (hósper), and often the Greek article ὁ (ho).^[4][2][8]

Semantic evolution

Besides the plain relative, the canonical texts use иже for "whoever, whatever", alone or with аще (for Greek ὃς ἄν), and as a connective "and this one" at the head of a clause.^[4] Its forms make adverbial phrases: имьже образомь “in the way that”, for ὃν τρόπον, о нѥмьже “why”, отъ нѥгоже “whence”, отъ нихъже “since”, and паче ѥже “more than what”, imitating Greek παρ’ ὅ.^[4][3] With an infinitive, a participle or a prepositional phrase it often stands for the Greek article.^[4][3] A conjunction иже “that”, in object and attributive clauses, is found only in Bes, Nicod and Slepč, where it renders Latin quod.^[4]

In the Euchologium Sinaiticum, a translation of the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century, it renders Ancient Greek ὅς (hós), ὅστις (hóstis) and the article.^[9] Giltebrandt lists it in the Church Slavonic New Testament for ὅς and for the article.^[10] In spoken Russian the word may have given way to который as early as the 11th or 12th century, according to Kozlovskij.^[7]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. who, which, that (relative pronoun); for ὅς, ὅστις, ὅσπερ.^[4][2][1]
2. He who, that which (without an antecedent).^[4][1]
3. whoever, whatever (often with аще); for ὃς ἄν, ὃς ἐάν.^[4][8]
4. And this one, which (joining a clause loosely); neuter ѥже “which is to say”.^[4]
5. (genitive) whose; for οὗ.^[4]
6. Used for the Greek article ὁ before an infinitive, a participle or a phrase.^[4][8]

Conjunction

1. that (in object and attributive clauses); for Latin quod.^[4][8]

Word family

• понеже
• занеже

Related words

• и
• же
• ꙗко
• ѥгда
• ѥлико
• идеже
• Russian иже (iže)

Usage notes

In later Church Slavonic иже is also the name of the letter и.^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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 h i Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 235
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
5. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 208
6. ^ 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. 8, 204
7. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 118
8. ^ a b c d e Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
9. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
10. ^ Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
11. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva