Etymologically
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имѣти

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Forms

имѣти (iměti) impf[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *jьměti (“to have”), a verb of every Slavic language.[2][3][1] The same verb is Russian иметь (imetʹ), Bulgarian имам (imam), Serbo-Croatian imati, Slovene iméti, Czech mít and Polish mieć; in many of them it also means “to regard as” and serves as a modal verb “to be obliged to”.[2][4]

ESJS traces *jьměti to Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to seize, take”); it stands to ѩти “to take” as Proto-Slavic *seděti (“to sit”) stands to *sěsti (“to sit down”).[2] The same -ē- suffix makes verbs for “to have” in other languages, as Latin habeō and Old High German habēn beside Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐍆𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hafjan, “to lift”), and Lithuanian turėti (“to have”) beside tverti (“to seize”).[2] Meillet derived the Slavic verbs of this type from an aorist, while Aitzetmüller saw an old perfect like вѣдѣ, which fits the sense “I have taken, so I have”.[2] Wiktionary gives the chain Proto-Balto-Slavic *imḗˀtei, from *ímtei.[1] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller compare Lithuanian imti (“to take”), Old Prussian imt, Latin emō (“to take, buy”), and probably Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (niman, “to take”) and Ancient Greek νέμω (némō, “to distribute”).[5]

The athematic present of the verb is old according to Berneker and Vasmer;[2] ESJS thinks it more likely a later form made after the present of дати “to give”.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest Gospel manuscripts it translates Ancient Greek ἔχω (ékhō): лиси ꙗзвинꙑ имѫтъ и птица небесьскꙑѩ гнѣзда “foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests” (Mt 8, 20 Zogr Mar As Sav).[6][7]

Semantic evolution

Besides “to have, hold, possess”, the canonical texts use it in set phrases: хвалѫ имѣти “to give thanks” (χάριν ἔχειν), вѣрѫ имѣти “to believe”, бѣсъ имѣти “to be possessed by a demon” and слово имѣти къ комоу “to bring a charge against someone”; with a double accusative, or with ꙗко or за, it means “to regard as”.[7] The present participle can mean “wealthy” (Euch).[7][2] With an infinitive it means “to have to” or “to be able”, and serves as an auxiliary of a periphrastic future and imperative; under Greek influence it can also mean “to be, to fare”.[2][8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. to have, to possess, to hold; for ἔχειν, κτᾶσθαι.[7][6][1]
  2. (present participle) wealthy.[7]
  3. to regard as, to consider.[7]
  4. (with an infinitive) to have to; to be able; forming a future.[2][8]

Word family

  • имѣниѥ
  • имѣниице
  • имѣньнъ
  • недоимѣти
  • имати
  • ѩти
  • Russian иметь (imetʹ)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 241
  3. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  4. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 211
  5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 233
  6. ^ a b 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 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 Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton