самъ

Forms

самъ (samŭ)^[1] Feminine сама, neuter само; the long form самꙑи occurs twice in the Codex Suprasliensis.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *samъ (“self; same; alone”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *sāmas, from Proto-Indo-European *somHós.^[1] The same word is Russian сам (sam), Ukrainian сам (sam), Bulgarian сам (sam), Serbo-Croatian sam, Slovene sam, Czech sám, Polish sam and Upper Sorbian sam, meaning self and often alone.^[3][1]

Sadnik and Vasmer compare, with a different ablaut grade, Sanskrit सम (samá, “even, same”), Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós, “common, like”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (sama, “the same”) and Old Irish som (“self”).^[4][3] Vasmer adds Avestan hama-, Old High German samo, Old English same, Old Norse sǿmr (“fitting”) and Latin similis (“like”), and cites Pedersen for a further link with εἷς (heîs, “one”) and semel (“once”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospel codices it renders Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”): ꙇ‹соу›с‹ъ› • самъ не крьштааше нъ оученици его “Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples” (J 4, 2 Zogr Mar).^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The SJS describes it first as an emphatic pronoun, “oneself, I myself, he himself”, for αὐτός and ἐκεῖνος, and with the reflexive pronoun for ἑαυτόν and σεαυτόν: вьзл҄юбиши подроуга своего ѣкꙑ самъ сѧ “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mc 12, 31 Zogr Mar).^[5] самъ, самъ о себѣ and самъ собоѭ express an action done of one's own accord, for αὐτόματος and ἑκών (съп‹а›си сѧ самъ “save thyself”, Mc 15, 30).^[5][2] Used attributively it means “the very, just” (до самого прѣданьѣ “up to the very betrayal”, Cloz 3b 33) and “own”; it can also stand for a plain personal pronoun (L 11, 4), and with an ordinal самъ третии means “he with two others” (Supr 158, 1).^[5] Sadnik gives “alone” as well, with the adverb само “only”, and Miklosich has the sense “alone, sole” from later texts.^[6][7]

SlaVaComp records it for αὐτός, ἑαυτοῦ and ἑμαυτοῦ in the euchologion translation.^[8] Russian Church Slavonic has both самъ and the long form самый: Giltebrandt lists them for αὐτός in the New Testament, from Са́мъ же і҆ѡа́ннъ и҆мѧ́ше ри́зꙋ свою̀ ѿ вла̑съ вельблꙋ̑ждь “and John himself had his raiment of camel's hair” (Mt 3, 4) on.^[9]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – самъ renders αὐτός, ἑαυτοῦ and ἑμαυτοῦ in the Slavonic euchologion translation.^[8]
• 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for αὐτοσχεδιάζομαι.^[8]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists every New Testament use of the word in Church Slavonic.^[9]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. self, oneself (myself, himself…), stressing the subject or object; for αὐτός.^[5][2][1]
2. With the reflexive pronoun, oneself; for ἑαυτόν, σεαυτόν.^[5][2]
3. Of one's own accord, by oneself; for αὐτόματος, ἑκών.^[5][2]
4. alone, only.^[6][7]
5. (attributive) The very, just; own.^[5]
6. самъ третии and the like: he with two (three…) others.^[5][6]

Word family

• самодръжьць
• самохоть
• самохотьнѣ
• самовидьць
• самовидьнѣ
• самовластьць

Related words

• Russian сам (sam)

Usage notes

The SJS has a separate head самъ for the island of Samos, Σάμος (A 20, 15 Christ).^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 551
4. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 297
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 Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
7. ^ a b Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
8. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
9. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg