любити

Forms

любити (ljubiti) impf, Glagolitic ⰾⱓⰱⰻⱅⰻ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *ľubiti (“to love”), a verb of all the Slavic languages.^[1][2][3] The same word is Russian любить (ljubitʹ), Bulgarian любя (ljubja), Serbo-Croatian ljúbiti (“to love, desire, kiss”), Slovene ljúbiti, Czech líbit se (“to please”) and Polish lubić.^[2][4]

Etymologists usually take the verb as a derivative of the adjective Proto-Slavic *ľubъ (“dear, pleasant”), OCS любъ, and Vasmer derives it so;^[3][4] Trubachev, however, holds the verb itself to be inherited from Indo-European, because Sanskrit and Germanic have verbs formed the same way.^[3][4] Wiktionary follows the second view, tracing it through Proto-Balto-Slavic *ljaubī́ˀtei to Proto-Indo-European *lowbʰéyeti.^[1] Either way the root is Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- (“to love, desire”): the adjective matches Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍆𐍃 (liufs, “dear”) and Old High German liob, and the root is also in Sanskrit लुभ्यति (lúbhyati, “desires”), Latin lubet (“it pleases”) and Old High German liuben (“to please, be dear”).^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it renders both Ancient Greek φιλέω (philéō) and Ancient Greek ἀγαπάω (agapáō): симоне ионинъ любиши ли мѧ “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” (J 21:17, Zogr As Sav Ostr, for φιλεῖς), and любите врагы вашѧ “love your enemies” (L 6:27, Zogr Mar).^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Besides loving a person, the canonical texts use it in a modal sense, to like doing something, as of the hypocrites who любѧтъ на сънъмиштихъ стоѩште молити сѧ “love to pray standing in the synagogues” (Mt 6:5).^[5] It also renders θέλειν, ἐπιποθεῖν, σέβεσθαι and τιμᾶν, and the reflexive любити сѧ means to love one another or, with съ, to be friends with someone.^[5][6] The Suprasliensis renders Greek compounds in φιλο- with phrases such as любѧи жизнь for φιλόζωος and любѧи истинѫ for φιλαληθής.^[6] Giltebrandt lists it in the Church Slavonic New Testament for ἀγαπᾶν, φιλεῖν and ἐπιποθεῖν.^[7]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – любити renders ἀγαπᾶν, ποθεῖν and ἐπιποθεῖν in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.^[8]
• 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for ἀγαπάω.^[8]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists its New Testament uses for ἀγαπᾶν, φιλεῖν and ἐπιποθεῖν.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. to love, to like; for ἀγαπᾶν, φιλεῖν, στέργειν.^[5][6][1]
2. (reflexive, with сѧ) to love one another; with съ, to be friends with someone.^[5]
3. (modal) to wish, want, like doing something; for φιλεῖν, ἀγαπᾶν, ποθεῖν.^[5][1]

Word family

• възлюбити
• облюбити
• прилюбити
• оулюбити
• възлюблѥниѥ
• люблѥникъ
• люблѥниѥ
• любьць
• любивъ
• любимъ

Related words

• любо
• любꙑ
• любъ
• Russian любить (ljubitʹ)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 431
4. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 544
5. ^ 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
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
8. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de