Etymologically
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мьнѣти

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Forms

мьнѣти (mĭněti) impf[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *mьněti (“to think”), with the first person present *mьnjǫ.[2][3][1][4] The same word is Bulgarian мня (mnja), Serbo-Croatian mnȉti, Slovene mnẹ́ti, Czech mnít and Russian мнить (mnitʹ), meaning to think, to suppose or to consider.[2][3][4] In most of these languages the simple verb is archaic or bookish, and prefixed forms such as Slovene pómniti and Polish pomnieć are more common.[2]

It continues Proto-Balto-Slavic *minḗˀtei, a stative verb from the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think, to have in mind”), one of the few roots attested in every branch of the family.[2][1][3] The same formation is in Lithuanian minėti (“to mention, to remember”) and Latvian minēt (“to mention”), and ESJS points out that such stative presents are also found in Indo-Iranian, Greek and Celtic, so that the type is inherited.[2][3][4] Other words of the root are Ancient Greek μέμονα (mémona, “to be eager”), μαίνομαι (maínomai, “to rage”), Latin meminī (“to remember”) and moneō (“to remind, to warn”).[2][4][3]

ESJS treats as speculation the attempts to tie this root to its homonyms meaning to remain or to crush, and the proposals that its first sense was to speak or to see.[2] Vasmer separates it from мѣнити1, to think, which with Polish mienić he connects with Old High German meinen (“to mean, to think”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts the verb renders Ancient Greek νομίζω (nomízō) and Ancient Greek δοκέω (dokéō): не мните ѣко придъ разоритъ закона ли пророкъ “do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets” (Mt 5, 17 Zogr As) and мьните ли ѣко галилѣане сіи грѣшьнѣꙇше бꙑшѧ “do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners” (L 13, 2 Zogr Mar).[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Besides thinking and supposing, the canonical texts use the verb with a double accusative, “to take someone for something”, for Ancient Greek ἡγέομαι (hēgéomai) and Ancient Greek λογίζομαι (logízomai) (аште сиротѫ мьниши “if you consider an orphan”, Supr 241, 10).[5][6] The present passive participle мьнимꙑи became an adjective, “supposed, so-called”, said for instance of the so-called gods.[5] Impersonal мьнить сѧ with the dative means “it seems”, for δοκεῖ: чъто сѧ вамъ мьнитъ “what do you think?” (Mt 18, 12).[5] Only the text the SJS cites as Bes uses не мьнѭ as an interrogative particle, rendering Latin numquid.[5]

From Church Slavonic Russian took мнение (mnénije, “opinion”) and сомнение (somnénije, “doubt”), and Romanian pomeni (“to remember”), from the prefixed помьнѣти.[2] Dyachenko marks the verb as Old Slavonic.[7]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses мьнѣти for νομίζειν and ἡγεῖσθαι.[8]
  • 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for νομίζω and οἶμαι.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To think, to suppose, to believe; for δοκεῖν, νομίζειν, οἴεσθαι.[5][6][1]
  2. With a double accusative, to consider someone or something to be something; for ἡγεῖσθαι, λογίζεσθαι.[5][6][1]
  3. (reflexive, impersonal, with the dative) It seems; for δοκεῖ.[5][1]
  4. In не мьнѭ: an interrogative particle, surely not?; for Latin numquid.[5]

Word family

  • помьнѣти
  • памѧть
  • помѧнѫти
  • Russian мнить (mnitʹ)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 518
  3. ^ a b c d e Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 340
  4. ^ 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, 633
  5. ^ 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
  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. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
  8. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de