тако

Forms

тако (tako) adverb, conjunction, particle^[1][2] The Psalterium Sinaiticum once writes тѣко.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *tako (“thus, so”), formed from *takъ (“such”).^[3][4] The same word is Russian так (tak), Bulgarian тако (tako), Serbo-Croatian та̏ко (tȁko), Slovene tako, Czech tak and Polish tak.^[4][3]

It belongs to the demonstrative pronoun Proto-Slavic *tъ, and *takъ matches Lithuanian tóks (“such”) and Latin tālis (“such”).^[4][5] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller further compare tas (“that”) and Ancient Greek τό (tó, “the”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Gospels тако renders Ancient Greek οὕτως (hoútōs, “thus”), as in тако оубо молите сѧ вꙑ • ѡ‹ть›че нашь "pray then in this way: Our Father" (Mt 6, 9), in the Codex Zographensis, the Codex Marianus, the Savvina kniga and the Ostromir Gospel, where the Codex Assemanianus has сіце.^[1] The SNSP counts more than 300 uses in the oldest manuscripts.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Its first use is of manner, "so, in this way, likewise", also introducing direct speech; then of degree, "so, so much", for οὕτως and Latin tam.^[1][2] In correlative pairs тако — ꙗко(же) it means "as — so".^[1] Тако ми with a noun is an oath, "I swear by…", for Ancient Greek μά (má) and Ancient Greek νή (nḗ): тако ми богꙑ "by the gods" (Supr 2, 17).^[1][6][7] Да тако рекѫ renders ἵν’ οὕτως εἴπω "so to speak".^[1]

Later Church Slavonic kept the oath: Miklosich and Dyachenko quote тако ми истины "by the truth", and тако ми здравая фараона "by the life of Pharaoh" (Gn 42, 15).^[7][8] Vasmer notes that Old East Slavic, beside тако, has the short такъ, first in a Prologue of 1356, which is the Russian form так.^[4]

Timeline

• End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – the Euchologium Sinaiticum uses тако for οὕτως and καθώς.^[9]
• 1356 – the short form такъ first appears beside тако in an Old East Slavic Prologue.^[4]
• 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists every New Testament use of the word in Church Slavonic.^[10]

Meanings

Adverb

1. thus, so, in this way, likewise; for οὕτως.^[1][2][11]
2. So, so much (of degree); for οὕτως.^[1]

Conjunction

1. In pairs with ꙗко, ꙗкоже: as — so; for οὕτως — καθώς, ὥσπερ — οὕτως.^[1]

Particle

1. тако ми: I swear by…; for μά, νή.^[1][6][7]

Word family

• такожде
• такоже

Related words

• тъ
• таковъ
• Russian так (tak)

References

1. ^ 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
2. ^ a b c d e 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 Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
4. ^ 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. 4, 12
5. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 323
6. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
7. ^ a b c Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
8. ^ D'jačenko, Grigorij (1899), Polnyj cerkovno-slavjanskij slovar', Moskva
9. ^ SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
10. ^ Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
11. ^ Swan, Oscar E. (2008), Old Church Slavic Glossary, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh; digital ed. with N. H. Reimer, Old Church Slavonic Dictionary