по

Forms

по (po)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *po (“after; by; at, on”), a preposition of every Slavic language, which everywhere governs the accusative and the locative, and in several languages the dative too.^[2][3][1] The same word is Russian по (po), Bulgarian по (po), Serbo-Croatian po, Slovene po, Czech po and Polish po.^[2][4][3]

Wiktionary derives the Proto-Slavic word from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pa, with Latvian pa, Lithuanian pa- and Old Prussian pa-, and further from Proto-Indo-European *h₂pó (“off, away”).^[1] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller compare po (“under, after, according to”), Lithuanian po (“after, under”) with the prefix pa-, and Latin po- in positus, and leave open how far an old Proto-Indo-European *pos lies hidden in it.^[5] Vasmer gives the same Baltic and Latin comparison.^[4]

ESJS calls the etymology difficult: the wide range of meanings of the preposition and the prefix has led to the view that several Indo-European adverbs and prepositions merged in it.^[2] The candidates it lists are Proto-Indo-European *apo, with a separative meaning, as in Sanskrit अप (ápa), Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó), Latin ab and Gothic 𐌰𐍆 (af);^[2] *pos “right by, behind”, as in post, pas and поздѣ (“late”); *upo (“under”); and *per.^[2] The closest matches are found for the prefix: Lithuanian, Latvian and Old Prussian pa- and Latin po-;^[2] ESJS takes these as the bare deictic root of which the fuller prepositions are extensions, and says that every account of how the meanings developed remains shaky.^[2] Wiktionary adds that another variant of the preposition, probably from a pre-Slavic form ending in s, formed *pozdě (“late”) and *poslě (“afterwards”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The preposition is in all the oldest Gospel manuscripts, the Codex Zographensis and the Codex Marianus among them.^[6][7] With the accusative of a place it translates Ancient Greek κατά (katá), as in бѫдѫтъ трѫси по мѣста “there will be earthquakes in various places” (Mc 13, 8 Zogr Mar).^[6][7]

Semantic evolution

The SJS and SNSP sort the uses by case.^[6][7] With the accusative по marks the places over which an action spreads, the period during which something happens (по вьсѧ дьни “every day”, Mt 26, 55), and, with посълати, the purpose of sending (посълавъ по зъванꙑѩ “having sent for the guests”, Supr); with verbs of holding it marks the thing held (дьржати сѧ по чьто “to hold on to something”).^[6][7] With the dative and locative it marks movement over a surface, nearness (“along, by”), and more rarely time after something, for Ancient Greek μετά (metá).^[6] ESJS adds the senses “according to”, “through”, “because of”, the phrase по томоу “therefore” and the distributive use (по дъвѣма “two each”, ѥдинъ по ѥдиномоу “one by one”).^[2][8] SlaVaComp finds it for κατά, μετά, εἰς and εἶτα in the Euchologium.^[9]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – по renders κατά and μετά in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.^[9]
• 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for ἠρέμα and ἀναλόγως.^[9]

Meanings

Preposition

1. With the accusative: throughout, in, over (a number of places); for κατά, εἰς, ἐν.^[6][7]
2. With the accusative: during, for (a stretch of time); for κατά, ἐν, διά.^[6][7]
3. With посълати: for (the purpose of sending); for ἐπί, πρός.^[6][7]
4. With the dative or locative: on, over, through (movement on a surface); for ἐπί, κατά, διά.^[6][8]
5. With the dative or locative: along, near, by.^[6][8]
6. With the locative: after (in time); for μετά.^[6][1]
7. With the dative: according to; because of;^[2][8] (distributively) each, by.^[2][8]

Word family

• потомь
• почьто

Related words

• Russian по (po)

Usage notes

The prefix по- has the same origin.^[2] It is very common with verbs and rarer with nouns, where па- is more usual.^[2] On verbs it can mark a small degree or short duration of the action, its beginning (поити “to set out”), its completion (погоубити “to destroy”), or simply the perfective aspect;^[2] понесѫ serves as the future of нести.^[2] The nominal prefix па- (памѧть, пагоуба) arose by lengthening of по-.^[2][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 666
3. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 292
5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 286
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 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
8. ^ a b c d e Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
9. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de