страсть

Forms

страсть (strastĭ) f, i-stem^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *strastь (“suffering, passion”),^[1] an abstract noun formed with the suffix Proto-Slavic *-tь (from Proto-Indo-European *-tis) from Proto-Slavic *stradati (“to suffer”), the source of страдати, as Meillet and Sławski explained it.^[2][1] Vasmer too derives it from the verb's root with this suffix, and rejects Jokl's connection with Proto-Slavic *tręsti (“to shake”).^[3] The same word is Russian страсть (strastʹ), Belarusian страсць (strascʹ), Bulgarian страст (strast), Macedonian страст (strast), Serbo-Croatian strȃst, Czech strast and Slovak strasť, meaning suffering, torment or passion.^[2][1]

The further origin of the root is unclear: Sadnik and Aitzetmüller find the attempts to link it with Proto-Indo-European *ster- (“stiff, rigid”), as in Latin strēnuus (“vigorous”), unconvincing, and mention Vaillant's starting point *srā-.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Codex Zographensis страсть translates Ancient Greek βάσανος (básanos, “torment”) in ꙇ страстьми одръжимꙑ “and those seized with torments” (Mt 4, 24 Zogr).^[5] The Euchologium Sinaiticum has it for Ancient Greek πάθος (páthos), на отъпоущение вⸯсеѩ страсти “for the release from all suffering” (Euch 27a 10), and the Psalterium Sinaiticum for Ancient Greek ταλαιπωρία (talaipōría, “misery”) (Ps 11, 6).^[6][5]

Semantic evolution

In the canonical texts the main sense is suffering, hardship and pain, for πάθος, πάθημα, ταλαιπωρία, βάσανος, ὀδύνη and other Greek words.^[6][5] A special sense is martyrdom, the passion of a saint or of Christ, for Ancient Greek ἄθλησις (áthlēsis) and ἆθλον, much used in the Codex Suprasliensis and the calendar notes of the Gospel books.^[6][5] The Apostolos, the Euchologium and the Codex Suprasliensis also use it for passion as a sinful desire, for πάθος and πάθημα (G 5, 24, R 7, 5).^[6] Schumann counts its compounds бестрастиѥ and бестрастьнъ, for ἀπάθεια and ἀπαθής, and страстотрьпьць and страстоносьць “martyr”, for ἀθλοφόρος, among the calques of Greek.^[7][8]

Giltebrandt lists the word in the Church Slavonic New Testament for βάσανος and πάθημα, and in Sedakova's account its first sense there is suffering, while under a titlo it names the Passion of Christ.^[9][10] Church Slavonic passed it on to Romanian, and Slovene strast “passion” has been taken as a Church Slavonic loan too.^[2]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum renders Ancient Greek πάθος (páthos) with страсть.^[11]
• 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses it for πάθος, πάθημα and ταλαιπωρία.^[11]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt records the word in the Church Slavonic New Testament.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. suffering, hardship, torment, pain; for πάθος, πάθημα, ταλαιπωρία, βάσανος, ὀδύνη.^[6][5][1]
2. martyrdom, the passion of a martyr or of Christ; for ἄθλησις, ἆθλον, πάθημα.^[6][5][1]
3. passion, a sinful desire; for πάθος, πάθημα, ἡδονή.^[6][1]
4. Once for endurance, patience; for ὑπομονή.^[6]

Word family

• страстьнъ
• бестрастьнъ
• бестрастиѥ
• страстьникъ
• страстотрьпьць
• страстоносьць
• подобострастьнъ

Related words

• страдати
• Russian страсть (strastʹ)

Usage notes

Sedakova lists страсть among the Church Slavonic words whose sense differs from the Russian one: in the liturgical texts it means suffering (R 8, 18) and the Passion of Christ, where Russian страсть is mainly passion.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU
3. ^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 771
4. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 309
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
7. ^ Schumann, Kurt (1958), Die griechischen Lehnbildungen und Lehnbedeutungen im Altbulgarischen, Veröffentlichungen der Abteilung für slavische Sprachen und Literaturen des Osteuropa-Instituts an der Freien Universität Berlin 16, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, p. 23
8. ^ Schumann, Kurt (1958), Die griechischen Lehnbildungen und Lehnbedeutungen im Altbulgarischen, Veröffentlichungen der Abteilung für slavische Sprachen und Literaturen des Osteuropa-Instituts an der Freien Universität Berlin 16, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, p. 55
9. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
10. ^ a b Sedakova, O. A. (2005), Slovar' trudnyx slov iz bogosluženija: cerkovnoslavjano-russkie paronimy, Moskva: Grēko-latinskij kabinet Ju. A. Šičalina
11. ^ a b SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de