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мѫка

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мѫка1 torment, suffering

Pronunciation

  • /ˈmɔ̃.kɑ/[1]

Forms

мѫка (mǫka) f, a-stem, Glagolitic ⰿⱘⰽⰰ[1] The Codex Clozianus also writes моука and мука.[2]

Etymology

The word for torment is inherited from Proto-Slavic *mǫka (“torment, torture”), with a stressed root in Proto-Slavic (accent paradigm a).[3][1] The same word is Russian му́ка (múka), Bulgarian мъ́ка (mắka), Serbo-Croatian mȕka, Slovene múka, Czech muka and Polish męka, all meaning torment or torture.[3][4]

Wiktionary traces the Proto-Slavic noun to Proto-Balto-Slavic *múnkāˀ and Proto-Indo-European *menHk- (“to knead”), the root of *mękъkъ (“soft”),[1] and Derksen likewise refers it to *męknǫti (“to go soft”) and to the adjective.[3] Vasmer takes the word as related to the noun for flour, мѫка2, and so to the family of kneading and softening, and holds that Lithuanian mūkà (“torment”) and Latvian muõka (“torment”) were borrowed from East Slavic.[4] Derksen keeps the two nouns apart, with a fixed stress for the torment word (accent paradigm a) and a mobile one for the flour word (b); since the root of the flour word is not acute, he finds its usual link with softness problematic.[3] ESSJa likewise gives the two words separate articles.[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts, the Codex Zographensis, Marianus and Assemanianus and the Savvina kniga, the word renders Ancient Greek βάσανος (básanos, “torment”), as in възведъ очи своі • сꙑ въ мѫкахъ “he lifted up his eyes, being in torments” (L 16, 23).[7][2] SNSP counts more than a hundred occurrences in the oldest manuscripts.[2]

Semantic evolution

In the canonical texts the word covers suffering, torture and punishment, for Ancient Greek βάσανος (básanos), Ancient Greek πάθος (páthos), Ancient Greek τιμωρία (timōría) and Ancient Greek αἰκισμός (aikismós), and in the Codex Suprasliensis also the instruments of torture laid out before a martyr, for Ancient Greek βασανιστήριον (basanistḗrion).[7][2] The phrases мѫкꙑ поимати and мѫкѫ приѩти mean “to suffer, to undergo torment”, for Ancient Greek πάσχω (páskhō), and вѣчьнаꙗ мѫка “eternal torment” is hell.[7][8] In liturgical use it also names the Passion of Christ, and in the Suprasliensis it can stand for a martyrdom.[8][2]

The word built a large family around martyrdom: мѫчити “to torture”, мѫчениѥ “torture, martyrdom”, мѫченикъ “martyr” and мѫчитель “torturer, tyrant”.[8] ESJS rejects Miklosich's view that мѫченикъ was coined after an Old High German word for the crucified, since nouns formed from a past passive participle with this suffix are common in Slavic.[8] Romanian muncă “toil” and a munci are taken as borrowings from Church Slavonic, and the shift to “hard work” there points to the influence of the living South Slavic languages.[8]

Meanings

Noun

  1. torment, suffering, torture; for βάσανος, πάθος, τιμωρία.[7][2][1]
  2. Punishment, penalty; for κόλασις.[2][4]
  3. An instrument of torture; for βασανιστήριον.[7]
  4. (liturgy) The Passion of Christ.[8]

Word family

  • мѫчити
  • мѫчениѥ
  • мѫченикъ
  • мѫчитель
  • мѫчьнъ
  • немѫчимъ

мѫка2 flour

Pronunciation

  • /mɔ̃.ˈkɑ/[1]

Forms

мѫка (mǫka) f, a-stem, Glagolitic ⰿⱘⰽⰰ[1]

Etymology

The word for flour is inherited from Proto-Slavic *mǫka (“flour”), with a mobile stress in Proto-Slavic (accent paradigm b).[3][1] The same word is Russian мука́ (muká), Serbo-Croatian múka, Slovene mǫ́ka, Czech mouka, Slovak múka and Polish mąka.[3][9]

Vasmer connects the Proto-Slavic noun by ablaut with *mękъkъ (“soft”), and compares Lithuanian minkyti (“to knead dough”), Old High German mengen (“to mix”) and Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō, “to knead”).[9] Wiktionary similarly suggests a root Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- (“to knead”), comparing Latin mācerō (“to soften”).[1] Derksen sets up an Indo-European *monk- and finds the connection with the word for soft problematic, because the root of the flour word is not acute.[3] He gives it a separate article from the torment word, as ESSJa does, while Vasmer regards the two as related.[3][5][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels the word renders Ancient Greek ἄλευρον (áleuron, “flour”) подобьно естъ царьство небесьское • кⸯвасоу • ꙇже вьзьмъши жена съкрꙑ въ мѫцѣ тріи сатъ “the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour” (Mt 13, 33 Zogr Mar; also L 13, 21 Zogr Mar As Sav).[7][2] SNSP counts six occurrences.[2]

Semantic evolution

Outside the Gospels the SJS records the word in the Old Testament readings, for a handful of flour (3Rg 17, 12), and in a legend of Saint Wenceslas, for Latin farinula.[7] Miklosich's later Church Slavonic sources also use it for Ancient Greek σεμίδαλις (semídalis, “fine flour”).[10]

Meanings

Noun

  1. flour, meal; for ἄλευρον.[7][2][1]
  • Russian мука (muka)

Usage notes

The SJS numbers the two words the other way round: мѫка¹ “flour”, мѫка² “suffering”.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 h Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 329
  4. ^ a b c d Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 7
  5. ^ a b Trubačev, Oleg N.; Žuravlev, Anatolij F.; Varbot, Žanna Ž. (eds.) (1974–2021), Ètimologičeskij slovar' slavjanskix jazykov: praslavjanskij leksičeskij fond, vols. 1–42, Moskva: Nauka, p. 20, 135
  6. ^ Trubačev, Oleg N.; Žuravlev, Anatolij F.; Varbot, Žanna Ž. (eds.) (1974–2021), Ètimologičeskij slovar' slavjanskix jazykov: praslavjanskij leksičeskij fond, vols. 1–42, Moskva: Nauka, p. 20, 136
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b c d e f Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 497
  9. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 6
  10. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller