Etymologically
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sajnál

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Pronunciation

  • [ˈʃɒjnaːl][1]

Forms

sajnál[1]

Etymology

It is a Hungarian derivative of a stem saj- that is not recorded on its own and whose origin is unknown.[2][3][4] The ending is a cluster of verbal suffixes: the momentaneous -n and the frequentative -l or -ál.[2][4] ÚESz calls ⟨sajn-⟩ a relative stem formed with the momentaneous ⟨-n⟩, and takes the final ⟨-ál⟩ for a frequentative suffix.[3]

The stem may survive in a few old and dialect words: sajlakodás “wailing, lamenting” (1617), sajlódik “to suffer, languish” (1619) and sajol “to pity” (1873).[2][3] TESz and Zaicz think it may be the same stem as that of sajog “to ache”, and ÚESz the same as that of sajdít.[2][4][3] Bárczi also linked the verb to the same word, comparing the change of meaning in fájlal “to make ache” and “to regret”, but saw difficulties in this explanation too.[5]

TESz rejects a Finno-Ugric comparison that leaves that verb aside, and calls the Turkic and Slavic derivations mistaken.[2][5] Budenz had compared Finnish haiku (“painful, bitter”) and haikea.[6]

The adjective sajnos “unfortunately” and the noun and adverb sajna are later formations from the same stem: TESz calls them artificial creations based on the verb, and ÚESz takes the latter for a back-formation from it.[2][3][4] The language reform also made sajnít “to regret” (1784) and a short-lived noun sajn “sorrow”, first used by Verseghy in 1804.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is first recorded in 1595, in the phrase kit igen sajnálnak “whom they greatly pity” or “whom they miss”.[7][3] TESz and ÚESz give the sense of this first record, with a query, as “to feel sorrow over the loss or absence of someone or something”, and also as “to regret that something happened or did not happen”.[7][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 17th century the verb was used for grief over a loss and for regret over an event;[8] Transylvanian records of 1593–1786 show both, as in szivemből sajnálom “I regret it with all my heart” (1765).[8] From 1650 it also meant “to be reluctant to do something, to spare, to be sparing with”; in 1781 it is first recorded as “to give unwillingly, to begrudge”.[7][3] A sense “to complain of pain” is recorded in 1770.[7][3]

The sense of pity for a person, now the first one in the dictionaries, appears only in 1791, and with oda-, neki- or rá- the verb meant “to allot to someone” in 1838.[7][3][9] Dialects keep several of these senses: in Szeged “to give unwillingly” and “to feel the pain of something”, and in the Ormánság “to be stingy with something”.[10][11] In the Szamoshát sajnálja a lábát is said of an animal that spares its foot and limps slightly.[12]

The derivatives come from the end of the 18th century: sajnálkodik (1758), sajnálat and sajnálatos (1792), sajnálkozik (1796).[7][3] Sajnos first meant “painful, hard to bear” (1750) and “regrettable” (1782); as an adverb, “unfortunately”, it is recorded from 1900.[3]

The verb passed into the Romanian dialects north of the Mureș, as Romanian săinăli (“to pity, to regret”) and variants, with a noun săinălet from sajnálat.[13][14] Transcarpathian has Rusyn шойналовати (šojnalovaty, “to pity”) from the same verb.[15]

Timeline

  • 1595 – sajnalnak, the first record.[7][3]
  • 1650 – “to be reluctant to do; to spare”.[7][3]
  • 1750 – sajnosan, the first record of the adjective sajnos.[2][3]
  • 1758 – sajnálkodom, the derivative sajnálkodik.[7]
  • 1770 – “to complain of pain”.[7][3]
  • 1781 – “to give unwillingly, to begrudge”.[7][3]
  • 1784 – the language-reform verb sajnít.[2][3]
  • 1791 – “to feel pity for someone”.[7][3]
  • 1792 – sajnálat and sajnálatos.[7][3]
  • 1796 – sajnálkozik.[7][3]
  • 1820 – sajna, first as a noun “regret”.[3][4]
  • 1838 – odasajnál “to allot to someone”.[7][3]
  • 1900 – sajnos as an adverb, “unfortunately”.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To pity, to feel sorry for someone who has been hurt or suffered a loss: Sajnálom a beteg szomszédot.[9][1]
  2. To regret, to be sorry about something, or sad about the loss of someone or something;[9][1] sajnálom is also a polite apology or refusal, “I'm sorry”: Sajnálom, hogy nem tudok segíteni.[9][1]
  3. To spare, to be sparing with something, to be loath to spend time, money or effort on it: Nem sajnálta rá a pénzt.[9][1]
  4. (rare or dated) To begrudge, to give something to someone unwillingly.[9][7]

Word family

  • sajnos
  • sajna
  • sajnálat
  • sajnálatos
  • sajnálkozik
  • sajnáltat

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 Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 473
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
  4. ^ a b c d e f Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
  5. ^ a b Bárczi, Géza (1941), Magyar szófejtő szótár, Budapest: Királyi Magyar Egyetemi Nyomda, p. 145
  6. ^ Budenz, József (1873–1881), Magyar–ugor összehasonlító szótár, Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, p. 326
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 472
  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. 11, 617
  9. ^ a b c d e f Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu
  10. ^ Bálint, Sándor (1957), Szegedi szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 2, 383
  11. ^ Kiss, Géza (1952), Ormánysági szótár, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 468
  12. ^ Csűry, Bálint (1935–1936), Szamosháti szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Magyar Nyelvtudományi Társaság, p. 2, 283
  13. ^ Tamás, Lajos (1966), Etymologisch-historisches Wörterbuch der ungarischen Elemente im Rumänischen, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 723
  14. ^ Alexics, György (1888), Magyar elemek az oláh nyelvben, Budapest, p. 94
  15. ^ Lizanec, Petro N. (1976), Vengerskie zaimstvovanija v ukrainskih govorah Zakarpat'ja, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 639