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ez

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Pronunciation

Forms

ez[1] The accusative is ezt, the plural ezek; in the case forms the ⟨z⟩ assimilates to the ending: ebben, ehhez, ennek, erre, ettől, ezzel or evvel.[2][3] The shorter form e stands before a noun with no article.[1][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Uralic *e- (“this”), one of the pronoun stems Hungarian inherited from the Uralic period, with the pronoun-forming suffix ⟨-z⟩.[5][6][1][3][7][4] ÚESz, EWUng and Zaicz reconstruct the Uralic stem as *i “this”; the MSzFE and the UEW write *e, and the MSzFE traces the Hungarian vowel to a closed /ë/.[3][7][4][5][6] Its relatives include Mansi iń (“now”), Khanty it (“this; now”), Komi-Zyrian etaje̮ (“this”), Udmurt iče (“such”), Erzya eťe (“this”) and Finnish että (“that (conjunction)”).[3][6][5] It is the near-pointing partner of az, whose stem goes back to Uralic *o or *u “that”; both pronouns took the same suffix.[3][5]

The MSzFE explains the ⟨z⟩ as Finno-Ugric /t/, the same element as the demonstrative with /t/; since it took part in the change of Finno-Ugric /t/ to /z/ between vowels, it was added before that change, perhaps already in the Ugric period.[5] ÚESz and EWUng also allow a Finno-Ugric or Ugric date, but note that the bare stem e certainly existed on its own in early Proto-Hungarian (compare így, innen, itt); the later ⟨e⟩ may continue it directly, or be taken back from the case forms ⟨ennek⟩, ⟨erről⟩, ⟨ettől⟩.[3][7] Zaicz calls ⟨e⟩ a Hungarian development or such a back-formation.[4] The fixed case forms (ehhez, ennek) arose most likely by assimilation from ⟨ez⟩ (⟨ezhez⟩ > ⟨ehhez⟩), and the ⟨d⟩ of eddig may be a variant of the suffix.[3][7][4]

ÚESz lists Mongolian ene (“this”) and Latin is (“he; that”) as parallels, and the MSzFE records comparisons with Indo-European and Altaic pronoun stems.[3][5] In some dialects ⟨ez⟩ and ⟨e⟩ became definite articles in the same way as ⟨az⟩, by losing their stress before nouns; ÚESz treats this as a change of word class of the same word.[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

ez appears in the Funeral Sermon and Prayer of about 1195, in ez muncas vilagbele “into this toilsome world”.[5][3][4] The derivative ezen follows in the early 13th century.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

Pointing to what is near remains the core sense; from it come the uses for something just mentioned, for the content of a following clause or quotation, and for approval, “that's right!”.[2][8] In contrast with az it refers to the latter of two things mentioned, or to what is nearer in time.[2][8] In Udvarhely and Háromszék ez could mean “my husband”.[9]

The short form e is recorded from the Jókai Codex.[3][4] As a dialect article, ez is possibly recorded in the Old Hungarian Lament of Mary of the 13th century and surely in the Jókai Codex;[3][7] e as an article from the Vienna and Munich Codices.[3][7] MTSz records the article e, ez in the Repce valley of western Hungary.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 1195 – ez in the Funeral Sermon and Prayer.[5][3]
  • early 13th century – ezen “this”.[3][4]
  • after 1372 (copy of c. 1448) – the short form e (Ekeppen) and erre, erről in the Jókai Codex.[3][4]
  • after 1416 – ezért, ehhez, ennek and ettől in the Munich Codex.[3]
  • c. 1512 – eddig.[3][4]
  • 1528 – ekkor.[3][4]
  • 1532 – ekként.[3][4]
  • 1816 – the dialect word ehejt “here; at once”, from e and hely, in Gyarmathi's vocabulary.[3]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. this: the person or thing near the speaker, pointed at or present: Ez az én táskám.[2][8][1]
  2. What has just been mentioned or is known from the context.[2][8]
  3. Referring to the content of a following clause or quotation: Ezt mondta: holnap jövök.[2]
  4. In approval, “that's right, you've got it”.[2]
  5. In contrast with az, the one mentioned later: “this one … that one”.[2][8]

Determiner

  1. This, with the article before the noun and declined like it: ez a könyv, ebben a könyvben.[1][2]

Word family

  • ezen
  • ezért
  • eddig
  • ekkor
  • ekkora
  • ennyi
  • emez
  • erre
  • ehhez
  • ekként

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Lakó, György (ed.) (1967–1978), A magyar szókészlet finnugor elemei, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 1, 167
  6. ^ a b c Rédei, Károly (ed.) (1986–1991), Uralisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó / Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz; online as Uralonet, uralonet.nytud.hu
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1993–1997), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Ungarischen, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 394
  8. ^ a b c d e Ittzés, Nóra (ed.) (2006–), A magyar nyelv nagyszótára, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó / Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at nagyszotar.nytud.hu
  9. ^ a b Szinnyei, József (1893–1901), Magyar tájszótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Hornyánszky, p. 1, 522