чьто

Forms

чьто (čĭto)^[1] Genitive чесо, чьсо and чесого (česo, čĭso, česogo).^[2][3] Also written чⸯто, что and чъто.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Slavic *čьto (“what”).^[4][1][5] The same word is Russian что (čto), Ukrainian що (ščo), Bulgarian що (što), Macedonian што (što) and Serbo-Croatian štȍ.^[4][1][5] It is Proto-Slavic *čь (“what”) joined with *to, the neuter of тъ.^[5][1] The bare *čь survives in OCS ничьже (“nothing”) and оуничьжити, and its OCS genitive has its counterpart in Czech co and Polish co.^[5]

Wiktionary derives *čь from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ki and Proto-Indo-European *kʷid (“what”).^[1] Derksen and Vasmer compare Ancient Greek τί (tí, “what?”) and Latin quid (“what”), and Vasmer adds Oscan pid and Hittite kui-.^[4][5] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller put the word in one family with къто and кꙑи, all from the Indo-European interrogative stem *kʷo-, *kʷi-, which also gave Lithuanian kas (“who”) and Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐍃 (ƕas, “who”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The pronoun is in all the oldest manuscripts, more than 1,000 times in those the SNSP covers.^[2] In the Sermon on the Mount it renders Ancient Greek τί (tí): не пцѣте сѧ оубо г‹лаго›лѭште • чьто ѣмъ ли чьто пиемъ “do not worry, saying ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘what shall we drink?’” (Mt 6, 31, Codex Zographensis, Codex Marianus, Codex Assemanianus and the Ostromir Gospel).^[7]

Semantic evolution

Besides the plain question “what?”, the SJS records the oblique cases in questions of cause and purpose: чесо ради хризма си не продана бꙑстъ “why was this ointment not sold?” (J 12, 5), and чесо ради гꙑбѣль си “to what purpose is this waste?” (Mt 26, 8), for διὰ τί and εἰς τί;^[7] по чесомоу asks “how?” (L 1, 18), and with a noun чьто means “what kind of”, as in чьто ти ꙇмѧ естъ “what is your name?” (L 8, 30).^[7] It is also relative, “what, that which”, and opens indirect questions, as in оуготоваі чьто вечерѣѭ “prepare what I may eat for supper” (L 17, 8).^[7] The phrase чьто естъ мьнѣ и тебѣ renders τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί “what have I to do with you?” (L 8, 28 and J 2, 4).^[2]

The manuscripts spell it чⸯто, что and чъто as well, and Miklosich records the later instrumental чимь and the Bulgarian form що.^[2][8]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. (interrogative) what; for τί.^[7][2][1]
2. (with ради, дѣльма) why, for what reason or purpose; for διὰ τί, εἰς τί.^[7][9]
3. (по чесомоу, чимь) how, in what way; for κατὰ τί, ποίῳ τρόπῳ.^[7][2]
4. (with a noun) what kind of, which; for τίς.^[7]
5. (relative, and in indirect questions) what, that which; for ὅ, τί.^[7]

Word family

• нѣчьто
• ничьто
• ничьтоже
• почьто

Related words

• къто
• кꙑи
• тъ
• ничьже
• оуничьжити

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton
4. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill
5. ^ 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, 374
6. ^ Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 258
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kurz, Josef; Hauptová, Zoe (eds.) (1958–1997), Slovník jazyka staroslověnského / Lexicon linguae palaeoslovenicae, 4 vols. + supplements, Praha: Academia; digital ed. gorazd.org
8. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
9. ^ Swan, Oscar E. (2008), Old Church Slavic Glossary, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh; digital ed. with N. H. Reimer, Old Church Slavonic Dictionary