рѣка

Forms

рѣка (rěka) f, a-stem, Glagolitic ⱃⱑⰽⰰ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *rěka (“river”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *raikāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃royH-keh₂, a derivative of the root *h₃reyH-, made with the suffix *-ka.^[1][2] The same word is Russian река (reka), Ukrainian ріка (rika), Bulgarian река (reka), Serbo-Croatian rijèka, Slovene rẹ́ka, Czech řeka, Slovak rieka, Polish rzeka, Upper Sorbian rěka and Polabian rekă.^[2][3][1]

Within Slavic it belongs with the verb рѣꙗти and its relatives.^[4][3] Its relatives elsewhere include Latin rīvus (“brook, stream”), Old Irish ríathor (“torrent”), Sanskrit रय (ráya, “current, stream”), रीयते (rī́yate, “flows”) and Old English rīþ (“stream”).^[2][3][4][1] Vasmer finds the comparison with Old High German rīga (“row”) less convincing.^[3] The accent class of the Proto-Slavic word is not quite clear.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it translates Ancient Greek ποταμός (potamós): крьштахѫ сѧ вси въ ꙇорданьсцѣꙇ рѣцѣ “they were all baptized in the river Jordan” (Mc 1, 5), in the Zographensis, the Marianus, the Assemanianus and the Savvina kniga.^[5][6] The Psalter has на рѣцѣ авилоньстѣ тоу сѣдомъ “by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat” (Ps 136, 1).^[5]

Semantic evolution

Besides the river itself, the canonical texts use the word for a stream or flood, as in придѫ рѣкꙑ “the floods came” (Mt 7, 25) and the rivers of living water of J 7, 38, rendering also Ancient Greek ῥεῖθρον (rheîthron) and ὀχετός (okhetós).^[5] In the Acts междоу рѣками “between the rivers” renders Μεσοποταμία, for which another manuscript has the compound междоурѣчиѥ.^[5] Miklosich adds Ancient Greek ῥύαξ (rhúax, “stream”) and the phrase рѣкою сльзы точити “to shed a river of tears” from the menaea.^[7] Giltebrandt lists it for ποταμός in the New Testament.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A river; for ποταμός.^[5][6][1]
2. (figurative) A stream, flow or flood; for ποταμός, ῥεῖθρον, ὀχετός.^[5]

Word family

• рѣчьнъ
• междоурѣчиѥ

Related words

• рѣꙗти
• Russian река (reka)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 464
4. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 294
5. ^ a b c d e f 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 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. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
8. ^ Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg