vissza

Etymology

It is a lexicalised case form: a stem of unknown origin with the lative ending -a, probably shortened from a long ⟨-á⟩.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} TESz and Zaicz take the stem for the same as that of viszont, and TESz also of viszonoz and visszál.^[2][5][1] ÚESz and EWUng think it may be connected with the family of viszett or viszon, but ÚESz notes that the difference in vowel harmony weakens the idea.^[4][3] For the lative ending compare haza and messze; old records often mark the original long final vowel.^[2][5]

The long ⟨ssz⟩ is a lengthening, and the ⟨h⟩ and ⟨j⟩ of the old forms ⟨viszha⟩ and ⟨viszja⟩ probably arose by dissimilation.^[2][4] The word was at first an adverb of place expressing opposite direction; its other senses developed from this by transfer to actions, circumstances and time.^[2][4] TESz considers a Finno-Ugric comparison unlikely.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first certain records are place names in Latin charters: Vyzzamenewpatak in 1337, vizyay arouiz in 1430 and wyzafolowgy in 1434.^[2][4] ÚESz also gives a doubtful place name Vyzaah from before 1237.^[4][3] The sense of these records is “in the opposite direction, back to where it came from”.^[2][4] In running text the word first appears in the Vienna Codex, a text written after 1416 and copied about 1450, in the sense “contrary, in reverse”.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

From “in the opposite direction” came “back into an earlier state” (1519), “in return, likewise” (1531), “back into an earlier time” (1583), “backwards” (1584) and “again” (1624).^[2][4] In the first sense it also became a preverb, so that it now forms a large family of verbs of returning, such as visszajön “to come back” and visszaad “to give back”.^[4][6]

The word was also a noun: “strife, quarrel” about 1456, “an unpleasant thing” in 1613 and “the opposite” in 1693.^[2][4] Old texts had the phrase visszát von “to quarrel”.^[6] With a possessive suffix, visszája meant “the way back” about 1560, “the wrong side, the drawback of something” in 1635 and “the reverse side of cloth” in 1664.^[4][7] For this change of an adverb into a noun TESz and ÚESz compare messze and távol.^[2][4]

Derivatives include visszaság “a wrong, a drawback” (1474), visszás “awkward, contrary” (1586), visszásság (1788) and the military visszakozik “to retreat” (1848).^[4][5] Dialects have vijsza near the Hargita, viszra among the Moldavian Csángós and visztra.^[8][2] Transcarpathian Rusyn borrowed the word as an adverb meaning “back” and a call “come back!”.^[9]

Timeline

• before 1237 – ? Vyzaah, a doubtful place name.^[4]
• 1337 – Vyzzamenewpatak, a place name in a Latin charter.^[2][4]
• c. 1450 – “contrary, in reverse” in the Vienna Codex (a text written after 1416).^[2][4]
• c. 1456 – as a noun, “strife, quarrel”.^[2][4]
• 1474 – viʒʒaſag, the derivative visszaság.^[4]
• 1519 – “back into an earlier state”.^[2][4]
• 1531 – “in return, likewise”.^[2][4]
• 1584 – “backwards”.^[2]
• 1586 – visszás.^[4][5]
• 1624 – “again”.^[2][4]
• 1664 – visszája “the reverse side of cloth”.^[4]
• 1848 – visszakozik.^[4][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. back: to an earlier place, or back towards the starting point: Mikor jössz vissza?^[10][1]
2. In the opposite direction to the present or usual one.^[10]
3. backwards, further back in space.^[10][1]
4. Back into an earlier time.^[10]
5. In return, in turn: Köszönt, és én is visszaköszöntem.^[10]

Interjection

1. Back!: a command to go or move back;^[10] vissza a feladónak is the postal mark “return to sender”.^[10]

Noun

1. (with a possessive suffix) The reverse or wrong side of something, as of cloth or a garment: a kabát visszája.^[1][11]

Word family

• visszás
• visszásság
• visszakozik
• összevissza

Related words

• viszont
• viszonoz
• visszál

Usage notes

As a preverb it is written together with the verb, visszajön, but stands after the verb in negative and some other sentences: nem jön vissza.^[10][6] In Szeged and elsewhere the noun is used in összevissza “in disorder, all over the place”.^[11][2]

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 j k l m n o p q r s t u Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 1162
3. ^ a b c Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1993–1997), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Ungarischen, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 1687
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
5. ^ a b c d e f Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
6. ^ a b c Czuczor, Gergely; Fogarasi, János (1862–1874), A magyar nyelv szótára, 6 vols., Pest: Emich Gusztáv / Athenaeum
7. ^ Berrár, Jolán; Károly, Sándor (1984), Régi magyar glosszárium: szótárak, szójegyzékek és glosszák egyesített szótára, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 778
8. ^ Szinnyei, József (1893–1901), Magyar tájszótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Hornyánszky, p. 2, 1007
9. ^ Lizanec, Petro N. (1976), Vengerskie zaimstvovanija v ukrainskih govorah Zakarpat'ja, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 585
10. ^ a b c d e f g h Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu
11. ^ a b Bálint, Sándor (1957), Szegedi szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 2, 675