начѧти

Forms

начѧти (načęti) pf^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *načęti (“to begin”), a verb of all the Slavic languages, formed from Proto-Slavic *na- + *-čęti.^[2][3][1] The simple verb is not found anywhere in Slavic, apart from two doubtful Old Czech instances.^[2][3] The same word is Russian начать (načátʹ), Bulgarian начена (načéna), Serbo-Croatian nàčēti, Slovene načę́ti, Czech načít and dialectal Polish nacząć; besides to begin, in several languages it means to cut into a loaf or to start using up something whole, and to begin to damage.^[2][3][1]

The origin of the root is not clear, and the explanations differ widely.^[2] Wiktionary and Derksen analyse it as the preverb Proto-Indo-European *h₂nō with a root *k(e)n-.^[1][3] Most authors, among them Berneker, Pokorny, Vasmer and Trubachev, connect it with *ken- (“to arise anew, young”), the root of Ancient Greek καινός (kainós, “new”), Latin recēns (“fresh”) and Old Irish cinid (“springs, arises”).^[2][4] ESJS also refers to чѧдо and коньць here.^[2] Borgeaud leaves out the words meaning young and takes the root to mean to rise, then to get ready, comparing Latvian cinâties (“to rise”) and German beginnen (“to begin”).^[2][4] Brückner, starting from the sense to cut into bread, connects it with Lithuanian skinti (“to pluck, to cut off”), a view that ESSJa also records.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts it renders Ancient Greek ἄρχομαι (árkhomai, “to begin”): оученици же его възлакашѧ • ꙇ начѧшѧ въстръгати класꙑ ꙇ ѣсти “his disciples were hungry and began to pluck the ears of grain and to eat” (Mt 12, 1, Zographensis).^[6][7] The dictionary of the oldest manuscripts counts more than 200 occurrences.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Besides ἄρχεσθαι, the verb translates Ancient Greek ἐξάρχω (exárkhō) and Ancient Greek κατάρχω (katárkhō), and in the Codex Suprasliensis also Ancient Greek ἐπιχειρέω (epikheiréō, “to set about, to attempt”).^[7][6] With an infinitive it can also express the future.^[2][8][9] From it come начѧтъкъ “beginning”, which in the Euchologium and the Apostolos means the first fruits, and начѧло “beginning; authority”.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To begin, start; for ἄρχεσθαι, ἐξάρχειν, κατάρχειν.^[7][6][1]
2. With an infinitive, an auxiliary of the future.^[8][9]
3. To set about, attempt; for ἐπιχειρεῖν.^[7]

Word family

• начѧло
• начѧльникъ
• начѧтъкъ
• начѧтиѥ
• начинати
• начинаниѥ
• безначѧльнъ

Related words

• зачѧти
• въчѧти
• оучѧти
• чѧдо

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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. 523
3. ^ a b c d Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 248
5. ^ 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. 21, 226
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 c d 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 Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
9. ^ a b Swan, Oscar E. (2008), Old Church Slavic Glossary, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh; digital ed. with N. H. Reimer, Old Church Slavonic Dictionary