Etymologically

оставити

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Forms

оставити (ostaviti) pf[1]

Etymology

It is a perfective verb formed from Old Church Slavonic о- (o-) + ставити (staviti, “to set, to place”), one of the many verbs of the family of стати (“to stand up”).[2][1] The simple verb is inherited from Proto-Slavic *stàviti (“to place, to put”), which is also Russian ста́вить (stávitʹ), Serbo-Croatian stȁviti, Slovene stáviti, Czech staviti and Polish stawić.[1][3][4]

The Proto-Slavic causative continues Proto-Balto-Slavic *stāw-, from Proto-Indo-European *sth₂-ēw-, a form of *steh₂- (“to stand”).[1][3] Its nearest relatives are Lithuanian stovė́ti (“to stand”) and Latvian stãvêt (“to stand”), with Old English stōwian (“to keep from”) in Germanic.[3][1] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller trace the whole family to the root that is also in Lithuanian stóti (“to step”), Latin stō (“to stand”) and Ancient Greek ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to set”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is common in the oldest manuscripts, more than three hundred times, mostly for Ancient Greek ἀφίημι (aphíēmi) and Ancient Greek καταλείπω (kataleípō).[5] On the cross Christ says боже боже мои въскѫѭ мѧ остави “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Mt 27, 46 Zogr), for ἐγκατέλιπες.[6]

Semantic evolution

The SJS orders its senses from abandoning or forsaking someone, through leaving something behind or letting it remain, and allowing someone to do something (with an infinitive or да), to omitting or neglecting a thing.[6] With a dative of the person it means to forgive, as in the Lord's Prayer, остави намъ грѣхꙑ нашѧ “forgive us our sins” (L 11, 4 Zogr Mar Sav Ostr).[6] Used without an object it can mean to stop or let be.[5]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses оставити for καταλείπω, ἐγκαταλείπω and ἀφίημι.[7]
  • 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for καταλείπω, παραλείπω and παρίημι.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To abandon, to forsake; for ἐγκαταλείπω, καταλείπω, ἀφίημι.[6][5][1]
  2. To leave behind, to let remain; for καταλείπω, ἀφίημι, ἐάω.[6][5][1]
  3. With an infinitive or да, to allow or let; for ἐάω, ἀφίημι.[6][5]
  4. To omit, to neglect, to leave aside; for παρίημι, παραλείπω.[6][1]
  5. To forgive (a sin, a debt); for ἀφίημι.[6]

Word family

  • оставлꙗти
  • оставлениѥ

Usage notes

For ἀφίημι “forgive” the manuscripts vary between оставити and отъпоустити: in Matthew's Lord's Prayer (Mt 6, 12) the Assemanianus, the Savvina kniga and the Ostromir Gospel have остави, the Zographensis and the Marianus отъпоусти.[6] The SJS refers to Jagić for this alternation.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 308
  3. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 466
  4. ^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 742
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  7. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de