просити

Forms

просити (prositi) impf^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *prositi (“to ask”), found in all the Slavic languages.^[2][3][1] The same word is Russian просить (prositʹ), Bulgarian прося (prósja), Serbo-Croatian pròsiti, Slovene prósiti, Czech prosit and Polish prosić, meaning to ask or request, and in many of them also to beg for alms, to ask for a girl's hand or to invite.^[2][3][4]

It continues Proto-Balto-Slavic *práśīˀtei, from Proto-Indo-European *proḱ-éye-ti, a derivative of the root *preḱ- (“to ask”).^[1][3][2] ESJS calls the Slavic verb originally iterative, and finds its exact match in Lithuanian prašyti (“to ask, to demand”) and Latvian prasīt (“to ask”).^[2][3][4] The root has other present formations in Latin poscō (“to demand”) and precor (“to pray, to entreat”), and also gives Lithuanian piršti (“to woo”).^[2][4][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts the verb renders Ancient Greek αἰτέω (aitéō, “to ask”), as in просите ꙇ дастъ сѧ вамъ “ask, and it will be given to you” (Mt 7, 7 Zogr Mar As Sav).^[5][6] It also translates Ancient Greek ἐρωτάω (erōtáō) and Ancient Greek ἐπερωτάω (eperōtáō) (Mt 16, 1).^[5]

Semantic evolution

The canonical texts use the verb for asking and begging, for begging alms, as in не сь ли естъ сѣдѧ ꙇ просѧ “is this not the man who sat and begged?” (J 9, 8), for seeking, in the Savvina kniga for Ancient Greek ζητέω (zētéō) where the other Gospels have ꙇштѣте (Mt 6, 33), and for demanding (L 23, 23).^[5][6] Only the text the SJS cites as Bes uses it for asking a question.^[5] The SJS records it as imperfective and perfective.^[5]

ESJS lists among its derivatives прошениѥ “request”, проситель “beggar” and въпросити with въпросъ, question, and Russian took вопрос (voprós), вопрошать (voprošátʹ) and прошение (prošénije, “official petition”) from Church Slavonic.^[2] Giltebrandt lists it in the Church Slavonic New Testament for αἰτεῖν, ἐπαιτεῖν, ἐρωτᾶν and ζητεῖν.^[7]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses просити for αἰτεῖν, ζητεῖν and ἱκετεύειν.^[8]
• Up to the beginning of the 15th century – a Serbian translation kept at the Rila Monastery uses it for ζητέω and αἰτιάομαι.^[8]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists its New Testament uses in Church Slavonic.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To ask, to request, to beg; for αἰτεῖν, ἐρωτᾶν, δεῖσθαι.^[5][6][1]
2. To beg for alms; for ἐπαιτεῖν, προσαιτεῖν.^[5]
3. To desire, to seek; for ζητεῖν.^[5][6]
4. To demand, to require; for ἀπαιτεῖν, ἐξαιτεῖσθαι.^[5][1]
5. To inquire, to ask a question.^[5]

Word family

• въпросити
• въспросити
• испросити
• проситель
• въпросъ
• въпрашати

Related words

• прашати
• Russian просить (prositʹ)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 725
3. ^ a b c d e Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 421
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, 377
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 c d 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 Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
8. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de