Etymologically
Log in

ꙗкоже

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 25 October 2026 at 03:30. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Forms

ꙗкоже (jakože)[1] Also spelled ѣкоже.[2] Also акоже (Codex Suprasliensis, Hilferding fragments).[3]

Etymology

It is formed from Old Church Slavonic ꙗко (jako) + же (že), the adverb and conjunction “how, as” with the particle же.[4] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller list it in the family of the pronoun и, beside иже and ꙗможе, and see in ꙗко a remnant of the old relative pronoun of Ancient Greek ὅς (hós, “who, which”).[4] ꙗко itself continues Proto-Slavic *jako (“how, in which way”), from *jakъ;[5] Derksen, who starts from Proto-Slavic *ako, thinks its initial a is probably the conjunction *a.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is in the oldest Gospel manuscripts, for Ancient Greek ὡς (hōs) and καθώς: бѫдѣте оубо вꙑ съвьршени, ѣкоже и отьць вашь небесьнꙑи съвьршенъ ѥстъ “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5, 48 As Sav), where the Codex Zographensis and the Codex Marianus have ѣко и.[2]

Semantic evolution

The SJS gives it as an interrogative adverb “how”, only in indirect questions (ὡς, ὅπως), and above all as a conjunction of comparison “as, like”, for a long list of Greek words (ὡς, καθώς, καθάπερ, ὃν τρόπον…), often in ꙗкоже и “just as” and ꙗкоже бо; it also means “as if”, and after a comparative “than”.[2] Sadnik and Aitzetmüller add “because”, “that” and “and so”, and in the Euchologium it also renders ὅτι.[1][7] Later Church Slavonic kept it: Giltebrandt gives it for ὡς and ὥσπερ, from сотвори ꙗкоже повелѣ ѥмоу ангелъ (Mt 1, 24) on.[8]

Timeline

  • End of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century – ꙗкоже renders καθώς, ὡς, ὥσπερ and ὅτι in the Euchologium Sinaiticum.[7]
  • 1882–1885 – Giltebrandt lists it for ὡς and ὥσπερ in the New Testament.[8]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. how (in indirect questions); for ὡς, ὅπως, καθώς.[2][3]

Conjunction

  1. as, like; for ὡς, καθώς, καθάπερ.[2][3][9]
  2. as if; for ὡς, ὥσπερ.[2]
  3. (after a comparative) than.[2]
  4. because; that; for ὅτι.[9][7]

References

  1. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 7
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ a b c 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
  4. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton, p. 247
  5. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  6. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 28
  7. ^ a b c SlaVaComp Metaglossar Griechisch–Kirchenslavisch, Universität Freiburg, slavistik-portal.de
  8. ^ a b Gil'tebrandt, P. A. (1882–1885), Spravočnyj i ob''jasnitel'nyj slovar' k Novomu Zavetu, 6 vols., Sankt-Peterburg
  9. ^ a b Sadnik, Linda; Aitzetmüller, Rudolf (1955), Handwörterbuch zu den altkirchenslavischen Texten, Heidelberg: Winter / 's-Gravenhage: Mouton