оуста

Forms

оуста (usta) n pl, o-stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *usta (“mouth”), a plural noun.^[2][1] Vasmer explains it as a plural rather than a dual because the two lips make up one whole.^[3] The same word is Russian уста (ustá), Bulgarian уста (ustá), Serbo-Croatian ústa, Slovene ústa, Czech ústa and Polish usta; in Russian it is now old-fashioned or poetic.^[2][3][1]

Wiktionary derives it from Proto-Indo-European *h₁óh₃(u)s-(t)o-s (“mouth”), Derksen from *Hous-t-.^[1][2] Its closest cognates are Old Prussian austo (“mouth”) and Avestan and Sanskrit words for the lip.^[2][3][4] Another grade of the same root is in Lithuanian úostas (“harbour, mouth of a river”), Latin ōs (“mouth”), ōstium (“mouth of a river”) and Old Norse óss (“mouth of a river”).^[3][4][2] Derksen suggests that the Lithuanian vowel was taken over from the word for mouth seen in the Latin forms.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Gospel codices use оуста for Ancient Greek στόμα (stóma, “mouth”), as in the opening of the Sermon on the Mount: отъвръзъ оуста своѣ оучааше ѩ “he opened his mouth and taught them” (Mt 5, 2 Zogr As Sav).^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Besides the mouth of a person or an animal, as in the deliverance of Daniel отъ оустъ львовъ “from the mouths of the lions”, the word renders Ancient Greek χεῖλος (kheîlos, “lip”) and once Ancient Greek λάρυγξ (lárunx, “throat”) (Supr 270, 19).^[5][6] By metonymy it means what is said, speech or words: отъ оустъ твоꙇхъ сѫждѫ тѧ “out of your own mouth I will judge you” (L 19, 22 Zogr Mar As), and in Genesis a language.^[5][6] Phrases include ѥдинѣми оустꙑ “with one voice”, for ἐν ἑνὶ στόματι (R 15, 6), оустꙑ къ оустомъ “face to face”, for στόμα πρὸς στόμα, and оуста затворити “to silence”, for φιμοῦν.^[5][6]

Miklosich records later Church Slavonic изъ оустъ “by heart” and the sense mouth of a river.^[7] Dyachenko's dictionary adds the edge of a sword, оусте меча (1 Macc 5, 28), and the forms оустна, оустнѣ “lips”.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. (plural only) The mouth of a person or animal; for στόμα.^[5][6][1]
2. The lips, the throat; for χείλη, λάρυγξ.^[5][6]
3. (by metonymy) Speech, words, what someone says; a language.^[5][6]
4. The mouth of a river.^[7]

Word family

• оустьна

Related words

• Russian уста (ustá)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 4, 172
4. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 325
5. ^ a b c d e f g Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
8. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva