Etymologically
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плъть

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Forms

плъть (plŭtĭ) f, i-stem[1] The Suprasliensis mostly writes пльть, the Psalterium Sinaiticum плоть.[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *plъtь (“skin, body”), whose descendants mean “human body”, “living being”, “kin”, “sex” and above all “skin, complexion”.[3][1] The same word is Russian плоть (plotʹ), Bulgarian плът (plăt), Serbo-Croatian pȕt, Slovene pôlt, Czech pleť and Polish płeć.[3][4][1]

ESJS calls its origin not quite clear, with no direct match outside Balto-Slavic.[3] Most etymologists derive it with the suffix *-ti-* from Proto-Indo-European *pelH- (“to cover, skin”), the root of Latin pellis (“skin”) and Old English fell (“hide”), and compare Lithuanian plutà (“crust, rind”) and Latvian pluta (“flesh, skin”).[3][1][4] A second view takes it from *pleu- (“to swim, flow”), as something light that floats;[3] ESJS finds this less likely, since that root gave the homonym meaning “raft”.[3] Vasmer thinks the comparisons with Russian полоть (polotʹ, “side of bacon”) and with a Sanskrit word for “floating” doubtful.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it translates Ancient Greek σάρξ (sárx, “flesh”): доухъ бо бьдръ • а плъть немоштьна “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt 26, 41, Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus and Savvina kniga).[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The SJS gives it first as the stuff of a living body or the body itself, for σάρξ and σῶμα, then for human nature, as in по плъти “according to the flesh” (κατὰ σάρκα).[5] In the Euchologium it also means carnal desire, and вьсꙗ плъть (πᾶσα σάρξ) is “all living beings”, or all mankind.[5][2] The instrumental плътиѭ is used as an adverb, “bodily, in the flesh”.[5][2] ESJS adds the Eucharistic sense, the body of the Lord.[3] Derivatives such as въплътити сѧ “to become flesh” and въплъштениѥ “incarnation” render Greek σαρκοῦσθαι and ἐνσάρκωσις.[3]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – it renders σάρξ in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.[6]
  • 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for σάρξ.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. flesh, the body; for σάρξ, σῶμα.[5][2][1]
  2. Human nature, the flesh (as opposed to the spirit); for σάρξ.[5]
  3. Carnal desire.[5][2]
  4. (with вьсꙗ) All living creatures, all mankind; for πᾶσα σάρξ.[5][2]

Word family

  • плътьнъ
  • плътьскъ
  • бесплътьнъ
  • въплътити
  • въплъштениѥ
  • Russian плоть (plotʹ)

Usage notes

A rare homonym плъть “raft” occurs once (VencNik).[5][3] It is Proto-Slavic *plъtь, like Russian плот (plot) and Czech plt, derived from Proto-Indo-European *pleu- (“to float, sail”).[3][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 664
  4. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 286
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
  7. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 407