ити

Forms

ити (iti) impf or pf, Glagolitic ⰹⱅⰹ^[1] Present идѫ, идеши (idǫ, ideši); past participle шьдъ, шьлъ (šĭdŭ, šĭlŭ).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *jьti (“to go”), a verb of every Slavic language.^[4][3][1] ESJS, with most handbooks, writes the Proto-Slavic infinitive *iti; the zero grade, the form Derksen and Wiktionary reconstruct, has been admitted only occasionally.^[4][3][1] The same word is Russian идти (idti), Bulgarian ида (ida), Serbo-Croatian ìći, Slovene íti, Czech jít and Polish iść.^[4][3][1]

Wiktionary derives it from Proto-Balto-Slavic *éitei and Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti (“to go”), from the Indo-European root *h₁ei- (“to go”).^[1][3][4] It is cognate with Lithuanian eiti (“to go”), Latvian iet (“to go”), Ancient Greek εἶμι (eîmi, “I go”) and Latin eō (“to go”).^[4][3][1][5] ESJS calls any further explanation of the root uncertain, such as Kretschmer's derivation from an interjection.^[4]

The d of the present stem is the same as in the present of ꙗхати.^[4][5] ESJS leaves open whether this d was taken from particular Indo-European forms or is a Slavic or Balto-Slavic innovation.^[4] Derksen explains the stem as a reanalysis of the second person imperative, from *h₁i-dʰ-oih₁s, compare Ancient Greek ἴθι (íthi, “go!”).^[3] The suppletive past participle stem is probably from the same root as ходити, though its exact derivation is unclear.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is in all the oldest manuscripts, more than 1,000 times in those the SNSP covers.^[2] In the Gospels it renders Ancient Greek πορεύομαι (poreúomai) and many other Greek verbs of motion, as in the prodigal son's въставъ ꙇдѫ къ о‹ть›цю моемоу “I will arise and go to my father” (L 15, 18, Codex Zographensis, Codex Marianus, Codex Assemanianus, Savvina kniga and the Ostromir Gospel), for πορεύσομαι.^[6]

Semantic evolution

The verb has many prefixed derivatives, among them доити, изити, наити, отити, прити and сънити, and its frequentative is ходити.^[4] The SJS lists the Greek verbs of motion it renders, πορεύεσθαι, ἔρχεσθαι, ἀπέρχεσθαι and ὑπάγειν among them, and its phrases: мимо ити “to pass by” and “to pass away”, as in небо ꙇ земл҄ѣ мимо ꙇдетъ “heaven and earth shall pass away” (Mt 24, 35); въ слѣдъ ити or ити по комь “to follow”, for ἀκολουθεῖν;^[6] прѣдъ ити “to go before”; and на рать ити “to go to war”.^[6] ESJS adds ити корабл҄емь “to go by ship”, за мѫжь ити “to marry” (of a woman) and дъждь идетъ “it rains”.^[4][7]

In Old Russian ити на кого meant “to march against someone”, and ити роте “to take an oath”.^[8]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – ити renders πορεύεσθαι and ἀκολουθεῖν in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.^[9]
• 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for ἐπείγομαι.^[9]

Meanings

Verb

1. To go, to walk; for πορεύεσθαι, ἔρχεσθαι, ἀπέρχεσθαι, ὑπάγειν.^[6][2][1]
2. (мимо ити) To pass by; to pass away, to cease; for παρέρχεσθαι.^[6]
3. (въ слѣдъ ити, ити по комь) To follow; for ἀκολουθεῖν.^[6]
4. (прѣдъ ити) To go before, to precede; for προπορεύεσθαι, προάγειν.^[6][2]
5. (на рать ити, на воискѫ ити) To go to war.^[6]

Word family

• възити
• вънити
• доити
• изити
• мимоити
• наити
• обити
• отити
• подъити
• поити
• прити
• проити
• прѣвъзити
• прѣдъити

Related words

• грѧсти
• ходити

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ 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
4. ^ 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. 256
5. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 247
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
7. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
8. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
9. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de