Etymologically
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небесьскъ

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Forms

небесьскъ (nebesĭskŭ), Glagolitic ⱀⰵⰱⰵⱄⱐⱄⰽⱏ[1] The manuscripts mostly abbreviate it under a titlo, as нб҃скъ or неб҃скъ.[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *nebesьskъ (“heavenly”), formed with the suffix Proto-Slavic *-ьskъ on the s-stem of Proto-Slavic *nebo (“sky, heaven”), the source of небо.[1][3][4] The same adjective is Ukrainian небеський (nebesʹkyj), Bulgarian небески (nebeski), Macedonian небески (nebeski), Serbo-Croatian nèbeskī, Slovene nebeski, Czech nebeský, Slovak nebeský, Polish niebieski and Upper Sorbian njebjeski.[1]

The noun goes back to Proto-Balto-Slavic *nébas and Proto-Indo-European *nébʰos (“cloud”), an s-stem neuter of Indo-European age: Ancient Greek νέφος (néphos, “cloud”), Hittite nēpiš (“sky”) and, with another sense, Lithuanian debesìs (“cloud”).[3][4][1][5] ESJS compares the change from “cloud” to “heaven” with that of English sky.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest Gospel manuscripts the adjective renders the Greek genitive τοῦ οὐρανοῦ and the adjective Ancient Greek οὐράνιος (ouránios, “heavenly”), as in възьрите на птицѧ нб҃скꙑѩ “behold the birds of the air” (Mt 6, 26 Zogr Mar Sav), and in о‹ть›ць вашь не҃бскꙑ “your heavenly Father” (Mt 6, 32 Zogr Mar Sav).[6] At these places the Codex Assemanianus and the Ostromir Gospel have небесьнъ instead.[6]

Semantic evolution

Used as a noun, the adjective names heavenly beings and heavenly things, for Ancient Greek ἐπουράνιος (epouránios) (Supr 484, 19, J 3, 12), and на небесьскꙑихъ or въ небесьскꙑихъ means “in the heavens”, for ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις (E 2, 6).[6][2] ESJS takes небесьнъ as the apparently younger rival of the word, following Jagić.[3] Miklosich records the word for τοῦ οὐρανοῦ in the Ostromir Gospel, the Codex Suprasliensis and the Codex Clozianus.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. heavenly, celestial, of the sky or of heaven; for τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, τῶν οὐρανῶν, οὐράνιος, ἐπουράνιος.[6][2][1]
  2. As a noun, небесьсции: heavenly beings, the heavenly host;[6][2] небесьскаꙗ: heavenly things; for οἱ ἐπουράνιοι, τὰ ἐπουράνια.[6][2]
  • небо
  • небесьнъ
  • подънебесьскъ
  • Russian небесный (nebesnyj)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  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. 533
  4. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 274
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller