се

Forms

се (se) interj., particle^[1][2]

Etymology

It is probably inherited from Proto-Slavic *sь (“this”) in its neuter singular form, which is also се in Old Church Slavonic.^[3][4] Vasmer finds the same particle in Old Russian and Old Czech, and in Russian dialects, where it calls a dog; he also compares the particle Latin -ce (“here, there”) of hic (“this”) and ecce (“behold”), and Lithuanian šè (“there!”).^[3]

Sadnik and Aitzetmüller put се in the family of the demonstrative сь, whose cognates are Lithuanian šìs, Latvian šis and Old Prussian schis, and compare Ancient Greek ἐκεῖνος (ekeînos, “that one”).^[5][4] Wiktionary derives the pronoun through Proto-Balto-Slavic *śís from Proto-Indo-European *ḱís^[6], and Derksen compares Hittite kās (“this”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels it renders Ancient Greek ἰδού (idoú, “behold”) and ἴδε (íde), often introducing direct speech or a new part of the narrative, as in господи, се мꙑ оставихомъ вьсѣ “Lord, behold, we have left everything” (Mt 19, 27 Mar Zogr As Sav).^[1][2] The phrase се человѣкъ, “behold the man” (J 19, 5), is in the Zographensis, the Marianus, the Assemanianus and the Savvina kniga.^[1]

Semantic evolution

Besides drawing attention, the SJS records an exhorting use, “well then, come”, for Ancient Greek φέρε (phére), as in се оубо... прѣидемъ in the Suprasliensis (Supr 55, 17).^[1] SNSP, which counts more than 500 instances, adds its uses as a connective: и се for καί, “and then”, ꙗко се and ꙗкоже се “as, as if” in comparisons, не се ли “is it not?” in questions, and, as a conjunction, нъ се, обаче се “but, yet”.^[2]

SlaVaComp finds it for ἰδού in the Euchologium Sinaiticum and in the later Serbian translations.^[7] Dyachenko glosses the Church Slavonic се of the Gospels with Russian вот,^[8] and Vasmer records Russian се as a church word, “here, look”.^[3]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – се renders ἰδού in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.^[7]
• 14th century – the Athonite Serbian translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for ἰδού.^[7]
• 1899 – Dyachenko glosses it with Russian вот.^[8]

Meanings

Interjection

1. behold, lo, here is; for ἰδού, ἴδε.^[1][2][9]
2. Well then, come now, exhorting; for φέρε, ἰδού.^[1][2]

Particle

1. и се: and, and then; for καί.^[2]
2. ꙗко се, ꙗкоже се: as, as if; for ὡς, ὥσπερ.^[2]
3. нъ се, обаче се: but, nevertheless.^[2]

Related words

• сь
• сесь
• Russian се (se)

Usage notes

The same spelling is the neuter singular of the pronoun сь, “this”.^[1][4] SNSP also notes a single се in the Suprasliensis (Supr 148, 30) written for себѣ, a form of the reflexive сѧ.^[2]

References

1. ^ 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
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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, 586
4. ^ a b c d Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 300
6. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
7. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
8. ^ a b D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
9. ^ Swan, Oscar E. (2008), Old Church Slavic Glossary, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh; digital ed. with N. H. Reimer, Old Church Slavonic Dictionary