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онъ

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Forms

онъ (onŭ)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *onъ (“he, it, that”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *anas.[1][2] The same word is Russian он (on), Ukrainian він (vin), Serbo-Croatian ȍn, Slovene òn, Czech on and Polish on.[2][3]

Its closest relative is Lithuanian anàs (“that”), which in eastern Lithuanian dialects also means “he”.[2][3] Derksen reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-o- and compares Ancient Greek ἄν (án), the modal particle, and Latin an (“whether, or”).[2] Vasmer adds an Old Indic and Avestan demonstrative stem meaning “this”, Ancient Greek ἐκεῖνος (ekeînos, “that”) and the Old High German pronoun for “that”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the oldest Gospel manuscripts it is the demonstrative “that one”, for Ancient Greek ἐκεῖνος (ekeînos): ѣже бо онъ творитъ, си и сꙑнъ такожде творитъ “for whatever he does, the Son does likewise” (J 5, 19 Zogr Mar As Ostr).[4]

Semantic evolution

The SJS gives three uses in the canonical texts: the pronoun “that one” (ἐκεῖνος), онъ же “and he, but he”, which renders the Greek ὁ δέ, αὐτὸς δέ and ὃς δέ, and the adjective “that”, before or after its noun.[4] The SNSP counts more than 1,400 examples.[5] From these anaphoric uses comes the personal pronoun “he, she, it” of the modern languages;[3][6] Vasmer notes that Russian also keeps the older demonstrative in во время оно “in those days” and in оный.[3][6]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. that, that one, that one there; for ἐκεῖνος.[4][5][1]
  2. онъ же: and he, but he; for ὁ δέ, αὐτὸς δέ.[4][5][1]
  3. (as an adjective) that.[4]
  • Russian он (on)

Usage notes

The SJS has a separate онъ, the name of the Egyptian city On (Heliopolis), for Greek Ὤν in Exodus 1, 11.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 372
  3. ^ a b c d e Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 140
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c 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
  6. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill