Etymologically
Log in

чловѣчьскъ

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 25 October 2026 at 16:03. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

чловѣчьскъ (člověčĭskŭ)[1] In the manuscripts the word is mostly abbreviated under a titlo, as чл҃ск-, чл҃вск-, чс҃к- and in other ways.[2]

Etymology

It is formed from Old Church Slavonic чловѣкъ (člověkŭ, “human being”) + -ьскъ (-ĭskŭ).[1][3] ESJS lists it among the adjectives derived from the noun, beside чловѣчь and чловѣчьнъ, with the negative нечловѣчьскъ “inhuman”.[3]

The noun continues Proto-Slavic *čelověkъ, which ESJS, Derksen and Sadnik & Aitzetmüller explain as an old compound of *čelo-, related to *čeljadь (“household”), and *-věkъ, compared with Lithuanian vaĩkas (“child, boy”).[3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Gospels use it for the genitive τοῦ ἀνθρώπου or τῶν ἀνθρώπων, as in ꙇ възлагаѭтъ на плешта чл҃вска “and they lay them on men's shoulders” (Mt 23, 4 Mar), and in the Zographensis also for ἄνθρωπος itself, врагъ чс҃къ се сътвори “an enemy has done this” (Mt 13, 28), where the Marianus and Assemanianus have the noun чловѣкъ.[6][2]

Semantic evolution

Besides the genitive of the Greek noun it renders Ancient Greek ἀνθρώπινος (anthrṓpinos, “human”) and ἀνθρώπειος, and once τῶν βροτῶν “of mortals”.[6][2] The Suprasliensis contrasts the divine and the human, а дьнесь господьскаꙗ дѣѧ • вьчера чловѣчьскаꙗ “and today the Lord's deeds, yesterday human ones” (Supr 449, 24), and turns the Gospel's ч‹ловѣ›комъ ловьца “fishers of men” (Mt 4, 19) into ловьцꙙ чловѣчьскꙑѧ.[2]

The phrase сꙑнъ чловѣчьскꙑи, for υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, is the title Son of Man, said of Christ: с‹ꙑ›нъ ч‹ловѣчь›скꙑ не ꙇматъ кде главꙑ подъклонити “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt 8, 20 Zogr Mar Sav), where the Assemanianus has the adjective чловѣчь.[2][7] Later South Slavic translations still use it, as the 14th-century Serbian translation of Gregory of Nyssa, for ἀνθρώπινος.[8]

Timeline

  • 14th century – the Serbian Athonite translation of Gregory of Nyssa uses чловѣчьскъ for ἀνθρώπινος.[8]
  • Until the beginning of the 15th century – a Serbian translation from the Rila Monastery uses it for ἀνθρώπινος and τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.[8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. human, of man or of people; for ἀνθρώπινος, τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τῶν ἀνθρώπων.[6][2][1]
  2. сꙑнъ чловѣчьскꙑи the Son of Man, of Christ; for υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.[2][7]

Word family

  • нечловѣчьскъ

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU
  4. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 80
  5. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 223
  6. ^ a b c Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
  7. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
  8. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de