оуже

Forms

оуже (uže)^[1]

• The older Gospel manuscripts mostly write юже (22 times in the Zographensis, 36 in the Marianus), the Suprasliensis mostly оуже.^[2][3]
• Later Church Slavonic ѹже́.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *(j)uže (“already”), from *ju (“already”) and the particle *že (же).^[1][5] The initial j- was lost first in phrases after the negation не, according to Meillet and Vaillant, cited by Sadnik and Aitzetmüller.^[6] The same word is Russian уже (užé), Czech již, Slovak už, Polish już, Upper Sorbian južo and Lower Sorbian južo.^[5][1][7]

The first part comes from Proto-Balto-Slavic *jau and is cognate with Lithuanian jaũ (“already”), Latvian jàu and Old Prussian iau, and with Gothic 𐌾𐌿 (ju, “already”) and Old High German ju.^[1][6][5][7] Vasmer adds that in East Slavic it has merged with Proto-Slavic *u, related to Ancient Greek αὖ (aû, “again”) and Latin aut (“or”), which he finds in оубо;^[7][1] Wiktionary allows that the first part may be this particle.^[7][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it renders Ancient Greek ἤδη (ḗdē, “already”): илиѣ юже приде и не познашѧ его “Elijah has already come, and they did not know him” (Mt 17, 12 Mar), and грѧдѣте, ѣко оуже готова сѫтъ вьсѣ “come, for everything is now ready” (L 14, 17 Zogr Mar As Sav).^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Besides “already”, the canonical texts use it for “then, from now on, finally”, for Ancient Greek λοιπόν (loipón) and τὸ λοιπόν, especially in the Suprasliensis, and for “almost”, for ἤδη and σχεδόν, as in the boat that was already being swamped (Mc 4, 37).^[3][2] With a negation, оуже не renders Ancient Greek οὐκέτι (oukéti, “no longer”) and μηκέτι: оуже не имамь пити отъ плода лозънааго “I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine” (Mc 14, 25 Zogr).^[3][2] In a few texts, the Life of Constantine among them, не оуже means “not yet”.^[3] As a particle it stresses or links, “indeed, then”, for οὖν, ἄρα and λοιπόν, also in questions.^[3]

SlaVaComp records it for ἤδη, δή and μήν in later Serbian translations.^[8] Giltebrandt lists it for ἤδη throughout the Church Slavonic New Testament.^[4]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Slavonic translation of Germanus' ecclesiastical history uses оуже.^[8]
• 14th century – the Athonite Serbian translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for ἤδη.^[8]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists its New Testament uses for ἤδη.^[4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. already, by now; for ἤδη, ἄρτι.^[3][2][1]
2. Then, from now on, finally; for λοιπόν, τὸ λοιπόν.^[3][2]
3. almost, nearly; for ἤδη, σχεδόν.^[3]
4. оуже не: no longer, not any more, for οὐκέτι, μηκέτι, and in a few texts не оуже: not yet.^[3][2]

Particle

1. Indeed, surely, even, stressing what is said; for ἤδη, ἄρα, λοιπόν.^[3]
2. Then, so, in questions and conclusions; for οὖν, λοιπόν, ἔτι.^[3]

Related words

• оу
• оубо
• же
• Russian уже (uže)

Usage notes

The SJS also has an adverb оу “already”, the same word without the particle, and не оу “not yet”.^[3][7] In later Church Slavonic the same letters spell ѹ́же “rope, chain”, for σχοινίον and ἅλυσις, which Giltebrandt keeps apart from ѹже́ “already” by the accent;^[4][9][10] Vasmer derives it from Proto-Slavic *vǫže, OCS ѫже.^[4][9][10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 e f g h i j k l m Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
4. ^ a b c d e Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
5. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 326
7. ^ 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. 4, 151-152
8. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
9. ^ a b Sedakova, O. A. (2005), Slovar' trudnyx slov iz bogosluženija: cerkovnoslavjano-russkie paronimy, Moskva: Grēko-latinskij kabinet Ju. A. Šičalina
10. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 4, 152