Etymologically
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Pronunciation

  • [v], [f], [və][1]

Forms

в (v)[1] Before some groups of consonants it is во (во сне, во всём); in в него, внутрь the older stem вн- survives.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic въ (vŭ), from Proto-Slavic *vъ (“in, into, to”), with a fuller form ⟨*vъn⟩ and the prefix ⟨*vъ(n)-⟩.[1][3][2] The Slavic forms are Old Church Slavonic въ (vŭ), Ukrainian в (v) beside у (u), Belarusian у (u), Bulgarian в (v), Serbo-Croatian u, Polish w and Czech v.[2][3]

The ⟨-n-⟩ shows in внутрь, внушить, внимать and ⟨в него⟩; some take it for a consonant inserted to fill a hiatus, but Anikin thinks the cognates show it is original.[3] Vasmer explains ⟨*vъn-⟩ as a reduced grade of ⟨*ъn⟩, beside a full grade ⟨on-⟩;[2] Anikin and Shaposhnikov see a prothetic ⟨v-⟩ before ⟨*ъn⟩.[3][4] It matches Lithuanian į (earlier “in”), from Balto-Slavic ⟨*un⟩ or ⟨*in⟩, and with it Old Prussian en, Latvian ie-, Ancient Greek ἐν (en), Latin in and German in, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥ beside *h₁én.[3][2][1] Vasmer finds it unclear whether ⟨въ⟩ with the accusative also continues an Indo-European ⟨up-⟩, ⟨ub-⟩, as Meillet held.[2]

Russian dialects double it as ⟨вов⟩ or ⟨вох⟩, and Old Russian had ⟨вы⟩ for ⟨въ⟩ before ⟨и⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

SDRJa counts some 50,000 examples of въ.[5] Its first is from the Izbornik of 1076, on servants of the church: „и въведи таковы˫а въ домъ свои” “and bring such people into your house”.[5]

Semantic evolution

Shaposhnikov notes въ and во through the 11th–17th centuries.[4] The Lay of Igor's Campaign uses it 48 times, as in „въступи Игорь князь въ златъ стремень” “Prince Igor stepped into the golden stirrup”.[6] The later senses keep to the two cases: direction with the accusative, place with the prepositional; senses of state, form, dress and time grew out of these.[4][7]

Timeline

  • 1076 – въ домъ “into the house” in the Izbornik of 1076.[5]
  • end of the 12th century – въ златъ стремень in the Lay of Igor's Campaign.[6]
  • 1371 – въ Плотничскыи конецъ “into the Carpenters' End” in the Simeon Chronicle.[8]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. into (with the accusative), in (with the prepositional): the place where something goes or is: в город, в городе.[7][4][1]
  2. A field of activity or a state: быть в отчаянии “to be in despair”.[7][4]
  3. The form or state of a thing: чай в пакетиках “tea in bags”.[7][4]
  4. Clothing or a wrapping: в пальто “in a coat”.[7][4]
  5. A moment or period: в среду “on Wednesday”.[4]

Prefix

  1. в-, во-: forms verbs of movement inward or onto a surface (войти), with -ся verbs of doing something to the full (вслушаться), and adverbs (вверх, вдвоём).[9]

Word family

  • внутрь
  • внушить
  • внимать
  • в-
  • во-
  • Old East Slavic въ (vŭ)

Usage notes

В is also the third letter of the alphabet, called веди in Church Slavonic, with the numeral value 2.[2][4] As an abbreviation it stands for the volt.[1]

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 Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 1, 262
  3. ^ a b c d e f Anikin, A. E. (2007–2021), Russkij ètimologičeskij slovar' [Русский этимологический словарь], vols. 1–13 (A–D), Moskva: Rukopisnye pamjatniki Drevnej Rusi / Institut russkogo jazyka RAN, p. 5, 299
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 1, 92
  5. ^ a b c Avanesov, R. I. et al. (eds.) (1988–), Slovar' drevnerusskogo jazyka (XI–XIV vv.) [Словарь древнерусского языка (XI–XIV вв.)], vols. 1–13, Moskva: Russkij jazyk / Azbukovnik, p. 1, 499
  6. ^ a b Vinogradova, V. L. (1965–1984), Slovar'-spravočnik «Slova o polku Igoreve» [Словарь-справочник «Слова о полку Игореве»], 6 vols., Moskva / Leningrad: Nauka, p. s.v. въ
  7. ^ a b c d e Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. в
  8. ^ Barkhudarov, S. G. et al. (eds.) (1975–), Slovar' russkogo jazyka XI–XVII vv. [Словарь русского языка XI–XVII вв.], vols. 1–31, Moskva: Nauka / Azbukovnik / Lexrus, p. 2, 5
  9. ^ Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. в...