имѧ

Forms

имѧ (imę) n, n-stem, Glagolitic ⰹⰿⱔ^[1] Genitive имене; the SJS also quotes the spelling имꙙ from Suprasliensis.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *jьmę (“name”), a noun of all the Slavic languages, first of the n-stems, which several of them later moved to the o-stems.^[4][5][1] The same word is Russian имя (imja), Bulgarian име (ime), Serbo-Croatian ȉme, Slovene imé, Czech jméno and Polish imię.^[4][5][6]

It belongs to the Indo-European word for "name": Old Prussian emmens, Ancient Greek ὄνομα (ónoma), Latin nōmen, Gothic 𐌽𐌰𐌼𐍉 (namō) and Hittite lāman, whose l- is a dissimilation of n-.^[4][6][5][7] ESJS notes that these forms do not lead back to a single starting point, with several grades of the root in the different languages.^[4] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Balto-Slavic *inˀmin and Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥, Derksen *h₃nh₃-men-.^[1][5]

The Slavic form is most often explained from a zero grade *n̥-men- whose first nasal was lost either by dissimilation from the nasal of the suffix (Machek) or by a simplification of the cluster nm (Pedersen, Fortunatov); Vasmer too starts from a form with that cluster.^[4][6] The root itself has been explained in several ways, among them a link with the preposition *en (“in”) (Brandt, Trubachev).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels имѧ translates Ancient Greek ὄνομα (ónoma), as in ꙇ наречеши ꙇмѧ емоу и‹соу›с‹ъ› "and you shall call his name Jesus" (L 1, 31), in the Codex Zographensis and the Codex Marianus.^[3] The SNSP counts more than 600 uses in the oldest manuscripts.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Besides "name", the word means "reputation", "title, rank" and, rarely, "term, concept"; it also renders προσηγορία and προσωνυμία "appellation".^[4][3][2] The instrumental именьмь means "by name", for τοὔνομα and καλούμενος (именемь сифъ, Mt 27, 57), and въ имѧ and о имени "in the name of", for εἰς τὸ ὄνομα and ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι.^[3] The Euchologium Sinaiticum and the Sinai Služebnik abbreviate the formula имѧ рекъ as имѧ(р).^[2]

ESJS lists compounds such as тождеименитъ "of the same name" and лъжеименитъ "false", and notes that Russian took именитый "eminent" and именовать "to name" from Church Slavonic.^[4] Giltebrandt's dictionary of the Church Slavonic New Testament glosses it also as "glory, dignity, authority".^[8]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum renders ὄνομα by имѧ.^[9]
• 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa has it for ὄνομα.^[9]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists every New Testament use of the word in Church Slavonic.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A name; for ὄνομα, rarely προσηγορία, προσωνυμία.^[3][2][1]
2. Reputation, fame; title, rank.^[4][8]
3. именьмь: by name, called; for τοὔνομα, καλούμενος.^[3][2]
4. въ имѧ, о имени: in the name of; for εἰς τὸ ὄνομα, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι.^[3]

Word family

• именовати
• именитъ
• именьно
• безименьнъ
• тождеименитъ

Related words

• Russian имя (imja)
• Ancient Greek ὄνομα (ónoma)

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ 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
4. ^ 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. 242
5. ^ 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. 212
6. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 129–130
7. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 246
8. ^ a b c Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
9. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de