Etymologically
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szeret

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Pronunciation

Forms

szeret[1]

Etymology

It is a derivative of an old verb stem with the momentane suffix -t.[2][3][1] ÚESz and Zaicz take that stem to be the verbal side of an ancient noun-verb whose nominal side is szer “group, community; order”, and the meaning behind the whole family to be to join someone, to be attached to one another.[2][3] That noun is inherited from Proto-Uralic *śerɜ (“row, order”).[4][1]

From the same stem came szerelem “love”, with the noun suffix -elem, and an Old Hungarian noun szeret (“love”), with the noun suffix ⟨-t⟩, recorded perhaps in 1229 and about 1520 and long extinct.[2][3] The stem vowel was at first /ë/ and opened to /e/ under the stress of the first syllable, as in szerez.[2]

Bárczi still held the stem to be of unknown origin, and rejected the Turkic, Indo-Iranian and Finno-Ugric explanations proposed before him.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is the derivative szerető as a personal name, Scereteu, in a charter of 1199 (Bárczi and Zaicz give 1198).[2][5][3] As a verb it is in the Königsberg Fragment of the early 13th century (ſceretev, “loving”) and in the Vienna Codex (written after 1416, copied about 1450); the sense is “to love, feel affection or good will for someone”.[2]

Semantic evolution

ÚESz derives all the senses of the family from “to feel affection for someone” by metaphor.[2] Sensual love is perhaps already meant in the name of 1199 and is certain in the Vienna Codex;[2] “to value (spiritual goods)” is in the Jókai Codex;[2] “to enjoy, like eating, like doing” in the Vienna Codex; and the conditional szeretne “would like” from the 16th century.[2] The Transylvanian records of the 16th and 17th centuries use it for love between people and for liking things alike.[6]

The derivatives follow the verb: szerető “loving” in the Königsberg Fragment and “lover” in the Vienna Codex, szeretet “love, affection” in the Jókai Codex, and szeretkezik, first perhaps in 1585 for “to love one another”, later for a sensual relationship (1821) and for sexual intercourse (1833).[2][3]

In folk speech the verb also means “to like to eat or drink”, and tessék szeretni is said to a guest: “please help yourself”.[7][8]

Timeline

  • 1199 – Scereteu, a personal name from szerető.[2]
  • early 13th century – ſceretev “loving” in the Königsberg Fragment.[2]
  • after 1372 (copy of about 1448) – “to value (spiritual goods)”;[2] szeretet “love”, in the Jókai Codex.[2]
  • after 1416 (copy of about 1450) – zèrèt, and szerető “lover”, in the Vienna Codex.[2]
  • 16th century – conditional szeretne “would like”.[2]
  • 1821 – szeretkezik of a sensual relationship; from 1833 “to make love”.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To love, feel affection for someone: Szereti a szüleit.[9][1]
  2. To love romantically, be in love with someone.[9][1]
  3. To like, be fond of someone or something: Szeretem a hegyeket.[9][1]
  4. To like doing something (with an infinitive): Szeret főzni.[9]
  5. (conditional) Would like: Szeretnék egy kávét.[9][2]
  6. (dialectal) tessék szeretni: please help yourself (to food).[8][7]

Word family

  • szeretet
  • szeretkezik
  • szerető
  • beleszeret
  • elszeret
  • kiszeret
  • megszeret
  • viszontszeret
  • szerelem
  • szer

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
  3. ^ a b c d e Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
  4. ^ Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 731
  5. ^ a b Bárczi, Géza (1941), Magyar szófejtő szótár, Budapest: Királyi Magyar Egyetemi Nyomda, p. 157
  6. ^ Szabó T., Attila (ed.) (1975–2014), Erdélyi magyar szótörténeti tár, 14 vols., Bukarest: Kriterion / Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó / Kolozsvár: Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület, p. 12, 441
  7. ^ a b Csűry, Bálint (1935–1936), Szamosháti szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Magyar Nyelvtudományi Társaság, p. 2, 346
  8. ^ a b B. Lőrinczy, Éva (ed.) (1979–2010), Új magyar tájszótár, 5 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 5, 145
  9. ^ 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