Etymologically

Etymology and origin of the Old Church Slavonic word нашь

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
Codex Marianus and Codex Assemanianus (Gospels)
Inherited from
Proto-Slavic *našь
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *nōs-

Forms

нашь (našĭ) m.[1] Glagolitic ⱀⰰⱎⱐ.[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *našь (“our”).[1][2] The same word is Russian наш (naš), Ukrainian наш (naš), Bulgarian наш (naš), Serbo-Croatian nȁš, Slovene naš, Czech náš, Slovak náš, Polish nasz and Upper Sorbian naš.[1][3]

Vasmer and ESSJa derive it from Proto-Indo-European *nōs- extended with *-yos;[3][2] ESSJa also allows a derivative in *-jь from the stem of *nasъ (“of us”), the genitive plural of *my (“we”).[3][2] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Balto-Slavic *nōsjas and Proto-Indo-European *nōsyos, and analyses it as *nasъ with the suffix *-jь.[1] Sadnik–Aitzetmüller and Derksen compare the stem with Latin nōs (“we, us”), Ancient Greek νώ (nṓ, “we two”), Albanian na (“we”) and Old Prussian nuson (“of us”);[4][5] Derksen explains *nasъ as the stem *nōs with the genitive plural ending *-om.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is in all the canonical manuscripts, more than 900 times by the count of the SNSP, for Ancient Greek ἡμῶν (hēmôn, “of us”) and Ancient Greek ἡμέτερος (hēméteros, “our”).[6][7] In the Codex Marianus and the Assemanianus Mt 21, 42 ends и естъ дивьна въ очию нашею “and it is marvellous in our eyes”, with the dual of eyes.[7][6]

Semantic evolution

Used as a noun it means “what is ours”: си бо мимоходѧтъ а наша прѣбꙑваѭтъ “for these things pass, but ours remain” (Supr 88, 1).[7] It is sometimes used where the reflexive свои would be expected, and manuscripts vary between the two: the Codex Clozianus has нашъ оумъ where the Suprasliensis has своѩ.[7][6] The SNSP also lists it for ὁ καθ' ἡμᾶς, and SlaVaComp for ἴδιος in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.[6][8] In Church Slavonic нашь was also the name of the letter н.[9] Vasmer notes Russian не наш “the devil”, a taboo expression.[3]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. our, ours (first person plural possessive); for ἡμῶν, ἡμέτερος.[7][6][1]
  2. Used as a noun: what is ours.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c 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. 23, 123
  3. ^ 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, 51
  4. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 274
  5. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 346
  6. ^ a b c d e 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 e f Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  8. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
  9. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller

Related etymologies

  • рещи · also from Proto-Slavic
  • тъ · also from Proto-Slavic
  • иже · also from Proto-Slavic
  • отъ · also from Proto-Slavic
  • на · also from Proto-Slavic
  • не · also from Proto-Slavic
  • въ · also from Proto-Slavic
  • же · also from Proto-Slavic
Cite this entry

“Нашь.” Etymologically, 25 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/cu/%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%88%D1%8C. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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