Etymologically
Log in
History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Old Church Slavonic word о

о1 about, around

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
Codex Zographensis, Codex Marianus and the other Gospel codices
Inherited from
Proto-Slavic *o(b)

Forms

о (o)[1]

Etymology

The preposition is inherited from Proto-Slavic *o(b) (“around, about”).[1][2][3] ESJS takes Proto-Slavic *ob as the base form, at times *obь: OCS has об in a few phrases, and о arose from it when the final consonant was lost.[4] Both forms live on: о in every Slavic language except Macedonian, as in Bulgarian о (o), Serbo-Croatian o, Slovene o, Czech o, Slovak o, Polish o and Russian о (o), and ob in Russian об (ob), Slovene ob, Czech ob and Upper Sorbian wob.[4][2] Nearly all scholars hold "around" to be the first meaning, from which the others follow.[4]

The Indo-European background is not clear.[4] Wiktionary starts from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ebʰi.[1] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller compare the Old Prussian prefix ab- and Gothic 𐌱𐌹 (bi, “about, at”).[5] ESJS sees a preposition of two elements, the second of which, *bʰi, is a preposition of its own in Germanic (Gothic, as above, and Old High German bī); the nearest in form is *obʰi "towards", with Latin ob, but the Slavic meanings also allow *h₂m̥bʰi "around" (Ancient Greek ἀμφί (amphí), amb-) or *epi, *opi "towards, after" (ἐπί (epí)).[4][1] Most scholars see in the Slavic word a blend of the forms meaning "towards", while Vondrák and Machek derived it straight from the form meaning "around".[4] Derksen doubts the usual Sanskrit comparison, which he refers to the form meaning "around", keeps the Gothic one as possible, and derives Lithuanian apiẽ (“about”) from *h₁opi.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it marks the side on which something is: въвръзѣте о деснѫѭ странѫ мрѣжѧ "cast the net on the right side" (J 21, 6, Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus, Savvina kniga, Ostromir), for Greek εἰς τὰ δεξιά.[6]

Semantic evolution

The SJS divides its uses into place (о деснѫѭ, о шюѭѭ "on the right, on the left"), contact after verbs of striking or touching (прѣтъкнеши о камень ногѫ твоѭ "you dash your foot against a stone", Ps 90, 12), time (о лѣто "within a year", Supr), relation, "about, concerning", for περί and ὑπέρ, and cause, "for, because of", for ἐπί.[6] Casting lots "for" something is метати жрѣбиѩ о (Mc 15, 24).[6] ESJS adds the senses "around", "against" and "through" with the locative, and its use after verbs of speaking, caring and hoping.[4] The Euchologium Sinaiticum uses it for περί, ὑπέρ, ἐν, ἐπί and κατά.[7] Dyachenko's dictionary of later Church Slavonic gives it for περί, "around, about, for".[8]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. With the accusative: on, at (a side); о деснѫѭ on the right; for εἰς, ἐν.[6][9]
  2. After verbs of touching: against, on; for πρός.[6][9]
  3. Of time: within, during; for ἐπί.[6][1]
  4. With the locative: about, concerning, for; for περί, ὑπέρ.[6][10][1]
  5. With the locative: because of, for; for ἐπί.[6][1]
  6. around.[1][9]

Word family

  • обаче
  • обьщевати
  • обьщина
  • обьщити
  • обьщь
  • обьщьство
  • приобьщити

о2 oh, ah

Confidence
Probable
First attested
Codex Zographensis, Codex Marianus and the Psalterium Sinaiticum

Forms

о (o), also written ѡ[6][11]

Etymology

The interjection "oh" has parallels with the same or similar meanings in all the Slavic languages except Polabian, among them Bulgarian о (o), Serbo-Croatian o, Czech ó and Polish o, and in many Indo-European languages, such as Latin ō, Ancient Greek ὦ (ô), German o and Lithuanian o.[12] ESJS takes them as interjections formed afresh in each language, not as inherited from a common source.[12] Vasmer allowed a German source for the Czech word.[12] Since the OCS word always stands for ὦ, Loewe reckoned with a borrowing from Greek, or at least with Greek influence on how often it is used.[12]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it introduces an address, as in ѡ жено велиѣ естъ вѣра твоѣ "O woman, great is your faith" (Mt 15, 28, Zographensis, Marianus, Savvina kniga), for ὦ γύναι.[6]

Semantic evolution

It stands mostly before a vocative, rarely a nominative, in address; as an emotional interjection it expresses wonder or grief and takes the nominative, genitive or dative, as in ѡ бѣдꙑ "oh, the misfortune!" in the Codex Suprasliensis.[6][12] With горѥ it means "alas, woe", for Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí).[6][12] Miklosich quotes о веле "oh how great" from later texts, and ESJS derives the interjection оле from о and le.[13][12]

Meanings

Interjection

  1. O, oh, before a name or title in address; for ὦ.[6][9]
  2. Oh, ah, expressing wonder or grief; for ὦ.[6][12]
  3. (with горѥ) alas, woe; for οὐαί.[6]

Word family

  • оле
  • об

Usage notes

The same form is the letter о, called онъ, which as a numeral (о҃) stands for 70 in Cyrillic and 80 in Glagolitic.[6][9] The prefix о-, об- has the same origin as the preposition.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 361
  3. ^ 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. 26, 71
  4. ^ 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. 559
  5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 276
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  7. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
  8. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
  9. ^ a b c d e Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 71
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
  12. ^ 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. 615
  13. ^ 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

“О.” Etymologically, 25 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/cu/%D0%BE. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·