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привести

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Etymology and origin of the Old Church Slavonic word привести

привести1 to lead to, bring

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Codex Zographensis, Codex Marianus and Codex Assemanianus (Gospels)
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ-
Etymology tree of привести1
inherited borrowed derived
Old Church Slavonic вести
Old Church Slavonic привести

Forms

привести (privesti) pf, 1st person singular present приведѫ[1]

Etymology

The verb for leading is from Old Church Slavonic при- (pri-, “to, at”) + вести (vesti, “to lead”).[2][1] The simple verb is inherited from Proto-Slavic *vesti (“to lead, conduct”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *wed- and Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ-, with the cognates Lithuanian vesti (“to lead”) and Old Irish fedid (“goes, brings”).[3][4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts it renders Ancient Greek ἄγω (ágō) and Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō), as in ꙇ приведошѧ къ н҄емоу глоухъ гѫгънивъ “and they brought to him one who was deaf and could hardly speak” (Mc 7, 32 Zogr Sav).[5][1] SNSP counts more than two hundred occurrences.[1]

Semantic evolution

Besides bringing or leading someone somewhere, the SJS records the senses “to summon, invite”, in the Codex Suprasliensis “to quote, adduce” (for Ancient Greek ἐπάγω (epágō)), and “to offer as a sacrifice”, for Ancient Greek προσφέρω (prosphérō), as in Abraham offering Isaac (Hb 11, 17).[5][1]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To bring, to lead to; for ἄγω, προσάγω, φέρω.[5][1][4]
  2. To summon, invite; for καλέω.[5]
  3. To quote, adduce; for ἐπάγω.[5][1]
  4. To offer as a sacrifice; for προσφέρω.[5][1]

привести2 to bring by vehicle, transport

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Codex Suprasliensis
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ-
Etymology tree of привести2
inherited borrowed derived
Old Church Slavonic вести
Old Church Slavonic привести

Forms

привести (privesti) pf, 1st person singular present привезѫ[1]

Etymology

The verb for carting is from Old Church Slavonic при- (pri-, “to, at”) + вести (vesti, “to cart”).[6][1] The simple verb is inherited from Proto-Slavic *vezti (“to cart, convey”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *veź- and Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ-.[7][4] Its cognates are Lithuanian vežti (“to convey”), Latin vehō (“to carry, convey”) and Old Norse vega (“to move, lift”), and Sadnik and Aitzetmüller add весло.[7][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The SJS records it only in the Codex Suprasliensis and in a legend of Saint Wenceslas.[5] In the Suprasliensis it renders Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō) and Ancient Greek εἰσκομίζω (eiskomízō): повелѣста же мѫчителѣ привести возꙑ “the torturers ordered carts to be brought” (Supr 80, 12).[5][1]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To bring by cart or vehicle, to transport; for φέρω, εἰσκομίζω.[5][1][4]

Usage notes

In the infinitive and in many other forms the two verbs coincide, but the present stem tells them apart: приведѫ “I shall lead to” against привезѫ “I shall cart to”.[1][7] ESJS also keeps two simple verbs вести apart, one meaning to lead and one meaning to cart.[8] Where the Codex Zographensis, Marianus and Assemanianus have the sigmatic aorist привѣсъ (Mc 9, 17), the Savvina kniga and the Ostromir Gospel have приведохъ.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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
  2. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 327
  3. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 517
  4. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 328
  7. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 518
  8. ^ Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 263

Related etymologies

  • рещи · also from Proto-Slavic
  • тъ · also from Proto-Slavic
  • иже · also from Proto-Slavic
  • отъ · also from Proto-Slavic
  • на · also from Proto-Slavic
  • не · also from Proto-Slavic
  • въ · also from Proto-Slavic
  • же · also from Proto-Slavic
Cite this entry

“Привести.” Etymologically, 26 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/cu/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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