Etymologically
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ради

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Forms

ради (radi)[1] Also радьма, with the same use.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *radi (“for the sake of”).[1][2] The same word is Russian ради (radi), Ukrainian ради (rady), Serbo-Croatian radi and Slovene radi, and prefixed forms are Bulgarian заради (zaradi), Macedonian заради (zaradi) and zaradi (“because of”).[4][2][1] An Old Czech gloss with the same word is regarded as a borrowing from OCS.[4]

Its origin is disputed, and ESJS sets out three explanations.[4] Many scholars, among them Brückner, Preobrazhensky, Vasmer, Bezlaj and Gołąb, connect it with the verb Proto-Slavic *raditi (“to care for”) (OCS радити), which is supported by the synonymous postposition дѣлꙗ beside дѣлати and дѣло.[4] Others relate it to Proto-Slavic *radъ (“glad”), from a root for joy.[4] A third view takes it as a borrowing from Iranian, Old Persian rādiy (“on account of”);[4][2][1] Derksen and Wiktionary consider this possible.[4][2][1] Vasmer's Russian dictionary compares the Old Persian word, its Middle and New Persian successors and Sanskrit राधस् (rā́dhas, “favour”), and Sadnik and Aitzetmüller compare the Old Persian word with Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌽 (garēdan, “to be mindful of”) and Old High German rātan (“to advise”).[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is frequent in the oldest manuscripts (more than 500 occurrences in the SNSP), placed after a noun in the genitive and translating Ancient Greek ἕνεκα (héneka), Ancient Greek διά (diá) and Ancient Greek χάριν (khárin).[6][7] In the Psalterium Sinaiticum: братріѩ моеѩ ради ꙇ бліжикъ моіхъ “for the sake of my brothers and my neighbours” (Ps 121, 8), and in the Codex Marianus: егоже ради помаза мѧ “because he has anointed me” (L 4, 18).[7]

Semantic evolution

In the canonical texts it gives the cause or purpose, “because of, for the sake of”, and forms the phrases сего ради or того ради “therefore” and чесо ради “why”.[7][6] Less often it gives the means, “through, by”, for διά with the genitive (Euch, Supr), or the respect, “with regard to” (Supr, Epistles).[7]

The word lived on in Church Slavonic and in the Serbian and Russian recensions;[8][9] Giltebrandt notes that сегѡ̀ ра́ди mostly renders διὰ τοῦτο in the New Testament.[8][9] Sedakova gives its two senses in the liturgical language, “because of” and “for the sake of”.[10]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses ради for ἕνεκα, διά, ὑπέρ and ἐπί.[11]
  • 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists the New Testament uses of ра́ди for ἕνεκεν, διά, χάριν and ὑπέρ.[8]

Meanings

Postposition

  1. With the genitive: because of, on account of, for the sake of; for ἕνεκα, ἕνεκεν, διά, χάριν, ὑπέρ.[7][6][1]
  2. With the genitive: through, by means of; for διά with the genitive.[7][6]
  3. With the genitive: with regard to, according to.[7][6]

Word family

  • радьма
  • радити
  • дѣлꙗ
  • Russian ради (radi)

Usage notes

It almost always follows the word it governs, as a postposition.[12][13][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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. 432
  3. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 430
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU, p. 744
  5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 292
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  8. ^ a b c Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
  9. ^ a b Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
  10. ^ Sedakova, O. A. (2005), Slovar' trudnyx slov iz bogosluženija: cerkovnoslavjano-russkie paronimy, Moskva: Grēko-latinskij kabinet Ju. A. Šičalina
  11. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
  12. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
  13. ^ Swan, Oscar E. (2008), Old Church Slavic Glossary, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh; digital ed. with N. H. Reimer, Old Church Slavonic Dictionary