ли

Forms

ли (li); Glagolitic ⰾⰺ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *li, an enclitic particle of all the Slavic languages: Russian ли (li), Ukrainian ли (ly), Bulgarian ли (li), Serbo-Croatian li, Slovene li, Czech li, Polish li and Upper Sorbian li.^[2][1][3] Everywhere it asks a question, and in many languages it also means “if” or “or”.^[2]

Its origin is unclear.^[2][3] Most scholars connect it with the particle Proto-Slavic *lě, and its closest relatives are the final elements of Latvian nulei (“just now”) and Lithuanian nuli (“now”).^[2][3][4] Wiktionary sets up Proto-Balto-Slavic *lei and traces it to the pronominal root Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-.^[1] A link with the permissive particle lai (“let”) has been disputed because of its different meaning.^[3][4] Brugmann took li as an old optative of *wel- (“to want”), which Vasmer calls quite unreliable, and Miklosich's view that it is shortened from либо has been rejected by all.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts it follows the word a question is about, usually without a Greek equivalent: тꙑ ли еси цѣсарь ꙇюдѣꙇскъ “are you the king of the Jews?” (Mt 27, 11, Zogr Mar As Sav).^[5][6] With a negative it asks a question expecting “yes”: господи не добро ли сѣмѧ сѣлъ еси на селѣ твоемь “sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?” (Mt 13, 27, Zogr Mar As Ostr).^[6]

Semantic evolution

Besides direct questions the canonical texts use it in indirect ones (“whether”, for εἰ), in alternatives (ли … или, ли … ли “whether … or”), after interrogative words to tie a question to its context (къто ли, како ли), and after conjunctions such as аште ли “but if”.^[6][2] As a conjunction it means “or” and “than”.^[2][7] It also forms adverbs and conjunctions such as или, коли and толи, where it often alternates with лѣ.^[2] In the Euchologium Sinaiticum it renders εἰ and ἤ.^[8] Dyachenko records later Church Slavonic а ли “if, but if” and пакы ли “otherwise”.^[9]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses ли for εἰ and ἤ.^[8]
• Until the beginning of the 15th century – it appears in a Serbian patristic translation in SlaVaComp (Hi, Rila Monastery).^[8]

Meanings

Particle

1. Interrogative particle, placed after the word asked about; for ἆρα, μή, or no Greek word.^[6][5][10]
2. (with не or ни) Is it not…?, introducing a rhetorical question; for οὐ, οὐχί, οὐδέ.^[6][5]
3. whether, if (in indirect questions); for εἰ.^[6][10]
4. Then, and, but (after interrogative words, conjunctions and relatives).^[6]

Conjunction

1. or;^[6][10][7] ли … ли, ли … или either … or, whether … or; for ἤ.^[6][10][7]
2. than; for ἤ.^[7][2]

Word family

• или
• али
• либо
• коли
• толи

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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. 419
3. ^ a b c d e Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 491–492
4. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 261
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
7. ^ a b c d Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
8. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
9. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
10. ^ a b c d Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton