itt

Forms

itt^[1] The longer variant itten is recorded from after 1416, in the Munich Codex.^[2] Dialects have ëd, idd, ed and ett.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is a fixed case form, from Hungarian i (“this”) + -t (“locative suffix”): the original variant ⟨i⟩ ~ ⟨ë⟩ of the demonstrative e (the base of ez) with the old locative suffix -t.^[2][4][5] The /t/ was lengthened to /tː/ between vowels, in the inflected forms, as in ott.^[2][5]

The pronoun stem goes back to the Uralic demonstrative Proto-Uralic *e (“this”), continued in Khanty it (“this”), Khanty idi (“so”), Komi-Zyrian eta (“this”) and Udmurt iče (“such”).^[6]

The variant itten adds a second locative suffix, -n; dialect forms ending in /g/, /k/ or /d/ got their final sound from various emphatic elements, as in inkább and innét.^[2][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first records are in the Jókai Codex, a text written after 1372 and copied about 1448, where the word is spelled ytt; the sense there is already “in this place, here”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The local sense has been the main one from the first record on; the old dictionaries gloss it with Latin hic.^[7] A temporal sense, “at this time, now”, is recorded from 1807 (for itten from 1790).^[2] Transylvanian records of the 16th–18th centuries show the word in phrases such as itt alatt “down here” and in ma itt, holnap másutt “here today, elsewhere tomorrow”.^[8]

In the dialects, besides its local sense, itt can mean “then” and “right here, at once”.^[9][10]

Timeline

• after 1372 (copy of about 1448) – ytt in the Jókai Codex.^[2]
• after 1416 – ittèn, the variant itten, in the Munich Codex.^[2]
• about 1493 – Eth in the Festetics Codex.^[2]
• 1552 – It Dewan “here in Déva” in a Transylvanian letter.^[8]
• 1748 – the emphatic form emütt.^[2]
• 1807 – itt in the sense “at this time”.^[2][4]
• 1808 – the adjective itteni “local, of this place”.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. here: in the place where the speaker is: Itt lakunk a sarkon.^[11][1]
2. In this house, town or country, as opposed to elsewhere.^[11]
3. At the spot pointed to: Itt fáj.^[11]
4. In this passage of a text.^[11]
5. In this case, in this situation.^[11]
6. (dialectal) At this time, then.^[9][10]

Word family

• itten

Related words

• ott
• ide
• innen
• ez

Usage notes

The word is often paired with its opposite ott: itt-ott means “here and there, now and then”.^[12]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
3. ^ Szinnyei, József (1893–1901), Magyar tájszótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Hornyánszky
4. ^ a b c d Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1993–1997), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Ungarischen, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 676
5. ^ a b c Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
6. ^ Rédei, Károly (ed.) (1986–1991), Uralisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó / Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz; online as Uralonet, uralonet.nytud.hu
7. ^ Szarvas, Gábor; Simonyi, Zsigmond (1890–1893), Magyar nyelvtörténeti szótár, 3 vols., Budapest: Hornyánszky, p. 1, 1641
8. ^ a b Szabó T., Attila (ed.) (1975–2014), Erdélyi magyar szótörténeti tár, 14 vols., Bukarest: Kriterion / Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó / Kolozsvár: Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület, p. 5, 854
9. ^ a b B. Lőrinczy, Éva (ed.) (1979–2010), Új magyar tájszótár, 5 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
10. ^ a b Csűry, Bálint (1935–1936), Szamosháti szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Magyar Nyelvtudományi Társaság
11. ^ a b c d e Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu
12. ^ Czuczor, Gergely; Fogarasi, János (1862–1874), A magyar nyelv szótára, 6 vols., Pest: Emich Gusztáv / Athenaeum