пѫть

Forms

пѫть (pǫtĭ) m, i-stem, Glagolitic ⱂⱘⱅⱐ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *pǫtь (“way, road”), a word of all the Slavic languages.^[2][3][1] The same word is Russian путь (putʹ), Bulgarian път (păt), Serbo-Croatian pȗt, Slovene pǫ́t, Czech pouť and Polish pąć; in the South Slavic languages it means a road, while in West Slavic and in East Slavic it has also come to mean a journey or a pilgrimage.^[2][3][4]

It continues Proto-Balto-Slavic *pántis and the Indo-European noun Proto-Indo-European *póntoh₁s, an old word for a path or a crossing.^[2][1] ESJS describes it as a heteroclitic noun with i- and n-stems, a pattern that only Indo-Iranian kept, while Latin, Baltic and Slavic generalised the i-stem.^[2] Its relatives are Old Prussian pintis (“way, road”), Ancient Greek πάτος (pátos, “path”), πόντος (póntos, “sea”), once the sea as a road, and Latin pōns (“bridge, causeway”).^[2][3][4][5]

ESJS rejects the comparisons with German Bahn (“track, way”) and Pfad (“path”), and holds that the noun is probably not derived from a verb.^[2] The verb usually proposed as its source is Proto-Indo-European *pent- (“to step, to go”), which in Germanic came to mean to find, as in Old English findan and finden;^[2][1][4] Jēgers instead thought of a root meaning to stretch or to plait, from paths made firm with woven wattle.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel manuscripts (Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus, Savvina kniga, Ostromir Gospel) пѫть renders Ancient Greek ὁδός (hodós, “road, way”), as in the parable of the Good Samaritan: ꙇерѣі етеръ • съхождааше пѫтьмь тѣмь “a certain priest was going down by that road” (L 10, 31).^[6] The dictionary of the oldest manuscripts counts more than 300 occurrences.^[7]

Semantic evolution

In the canonical texts the word names a road or a street, also for Ancient Greek πλατεῖα (plateîa) and Ancient Greek λεωφόρος (leōphóros), and the way or direction one takes, for Ancient Greek τρίβος (tríbos) and Ancient Greek πορεία (poreía).^[6][7] Figuratively it is a way of life or of acting, as in приде бо иоанъ кр‹ь›ститель пѫтемь праведъномъ “for John the Baptist came in the way of righteousness” (Mt 21, 32).^[6] The Codex Suprasliensis also uses it for a passage or channel, for Ancient Greek ὀχετός (okhetós), and for a journey, for Ancient Greek ὁδοιπορία (hodoiporía).^[6] The phrase пѫть сътворити “to make way, to prepare a path” translates Ancient Greek ὁδοποιεῖν (hodopoieîn) (Ps 67, 5).^[6][7] ESJS notes that the word could also serve as an action noun, journeying.^[2]

In later Church Slavonic Miklosich records it also for a manner of doing something and in the phrase дрѹгыи пѹть “another time”.^[8]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – пѫть renders ὁδός in the Slavonic Euchologium.^[9]
• 14th century – a Serbian translation of Gregory of Nyssa made on Mount Athos uses it for ὁδός and ὁδοποιέω.^[9]
• By the early 15th century – a Serbian translation kept at the Rila Monastery uses it for ὁδός, τρίβος and ἀτραπός.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A road or street; for ὁδός, πλατεῖα, λεωφόρος.^[6][7][1]
2. A way or direction;^[6][7][1] (figurative) a way of life or of acting; for ὁδός, τρίβος, πορεία.^[6][7][1]
3. A passage or channel; for ὀχετός.^[6]
4. A journey, travel; for ὁδοιπορία, στρωτή.^[6][1]

Word family

• беспѫтьнъ
• припѫтьнъ
• пѫтьникъ
• пѫтьнъ
• пѫтьшьствовати
• распѫтьѥ
• пѫтьшьствьѥ

Related words

• Russian путь (putʹ)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 696
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 c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 413
5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 288
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
9. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de