Etymologically
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свои

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Forms

свои (svoi)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *svojь (“one's own”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *swajas, derived from Proto-Indo-European *swós, from *swé.[1][2] The same word is Russian свой (svoj), Ukrainian свій (svij), Bulgarian свой (svoj), Macedonian свој (svoj), Serbo-Croatian svȏj, Czech svůj, Slovak svoj, Polish swój, Upper Sorbian swój and Lower Sorbian swój.[1][2]

Its cognates include Old Prussian swais, Lithuanian savas, Latvian savs, Latin suus, Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍃 (swēs, “one's own”) and Sanskrit स्व (svá, “one's own”).[1][2] Vasmer adds Homeric ἑός (heós, “his own”) and Old High German swīo (“brother-in-law”).[2] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller put it in one family with the reflexive pronoun, себе and сѧ, which Vasmer too traces to the same stem without the -v-, and with особь, formed with a suffix in -b-.[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it renders Ancient Greek ἴδιος (ídios, “one's own”): наꙇмьникъ... емоуже не сѫтъ овьцѧ своѩ "the hired man, whose own the sheep are not" (J 10, 12, Zographensis, Marianus, Assemanianus, Savvina kniga, Ostromir).[4][5]

Semantic evolution

The SJS sets apart three uses.[4] First "one's own", for ἴδιος and οἰκεῖος, also as a noun: своѥ "what is one's own" (вьзьми свое и иди "take what is yours and go", Mt 20, 14) and свои "one's own people" (Acts 4, 23).[4] Second, the reflexive possessive of any person, mostly referring back to the subject, for αὐτοῦ, ἑαυτοῦ and similar Greek forms: завѧзаѭшта мрѣжѧ своѩ "mending their nets" (Mt 4, 21).[4] Third, "proper, appropriate": възврати ножь свои въ свое мѣсто "put your sword back in its place" (Mt 26, 52).[4][5] The Euchologium Sinaiticum uses it for ἴδιος, οἰκεῖος and σεαυτοῦ.[6] Dyachenko gives for later Church Slavonic both "one's own" and "close, related".[7]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. One's own, proper to someone; for ἴδιος, οἰκεῖος.[4][5][1]
  2. The reflexive possessive: my, your, his, her, our, their (own), referring to the subject; for αὐτοῦ, ἑαυτοῦ.[4]
  3. Proper, appropriate, due.[4][5]
  4. (as a noun) своѥ, своꙗ one's property;[4][7] свои one's own people, kin.[4][7]
  • себе
  • сѧ
  • особь

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 583
  3. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 298
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
  7. ^ a b c D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva