Etymologically
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ещё

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Pronunciation

  • [(j)ɪˈɕːɵ][1]

Forms

ещё (ješčó)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic еще (ešče), also още (ošče),[2][3] from Proto-Slavic *ešče (“still, yet”).[1][4] The word is common Slavic: Old Church Slavonic ѥште (ješte), Ukrainian ще (šče), Belarusian яшчэ (jašče), Bulgarian още (ošte), Serbo-Croatian jošte, Slovene jošče, Czech ještě, Polish jeszcze and Upper Sorbian hišće.[3][5] Vasmer explains the dialect forms in ⟨o-⟩ beside ⟨je-⟩ by sandhi (Meillet and Vaillant).[3]

Its further origin is not certain: ESRJa says it has no reliable etymology.[5] One view joins Proto-Indo-European *eti, seen in Ancient Greek ἔτι (éti, “yet, still”) and Latin et (“and”), with the enclitic *kʷe (“and”) of τε (te) and que (Meillet, Potebnja);[3] Vasmer notes that this needs an original *etsqe, and Chernykh derives the word from such a compound, with the dissimilation of ⟨čč⟩ to ⟨šč⟩.[3][2] Another compares Ancient Greek ἔστε (éste, “until”) and Latin usque (“all the way, until”) (Schmidt, Zubatý, Mladenov);[3] Shaposhnikov reconstructs *etskʷe or *edskʷe, from a pronoun stem, an inserted ⟨-s-⟩ and the enclitic.[6] Berneker's derivation with the preposition *ad (“to”) is less likely, since that preposition is not found elsewhere in Slavic,[3] and Grappin explained it from a form built on the verb “to be”.[3] Wiktionary reconstructs *h₁éskʷe, probably *h₁es- (“to be”) with *-kʷe.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Izbornik of 1076 has the form еште in the sense “again”, in a saying of Wisdom: “those who eat me will hunger for more”.[7] Chernykh dates еще and още in Old Russian from the 11th century.[2]

Semantic evolution

Besides “again, once more”, Old Russian used the word for “besides, in addition”: the Tale of Boris and Gleb, in a 12th–13th-century manuscript, has „не буди ми възяти рукы на брата своего, и еще же и на старѣиша мене” “let me not raise my hand against my brother, and an elder one at that”.[7] Avvakum used еще бы in 1675 for an indignant “as if that were not enough”.[7] The 18th-century dictionary adds the uses with numbers and in lists.[8]

The word passed into Erzya эштё (eštë) (also оштё (oštë)) and Yakut өссө (össö).[1]

Timeline

  • 1076 – еште “again, more” in the Izbornik of 1076.[7]
  • 12th–13th century – еще “besides” in the Tale of Boris and Gleb.[7]
  • 1595 – ещо in the report of the embassy of Zvenigorodsky.[7]
  • 1675 – еще бы in Avvakum.[7]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. again, in addition, more: приходи ещё “come again”.[9][10]
  2. Already, back (in the past): ещё в детстве “back in childhood”.[9]
  3. still, so far, yet: он ещё не вернулся “he hasn't come back yet”.[9][11]
  4. Shows that there is still time or opportunity: ещё успеем “we'll still make it”.[9]
  5. With a comparative: even, still more: ещё лучше “even better”.[9][1]

Particle

  1. (colloquial) With как or какой, stresses a high degree: ещё как! “and how!”.[9]

Word family

  • всё ещё
  • ещё бы
  • ещё раз
  • Old East Slavic още (ošče)
  • Old Church Slavonic ѥште (ješte)

Usage notes

The word is often printed еще, without the dots on ⟨ё⟩.[1] Ushakov separated the stressed ещё from an unstressed еще, which can add irony or reproach.[12] Common phrases are ещё бы “I should say so” and всё ещё “still”.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Chernykh, P. Ya. (1993), Istoriko-ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Историко-этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. 1, s.v. ещё
  3. ^ 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. 2, 30–31
  4. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 146
  5. ^ a b Shansky, N. M.; Zhuravlev, A. F. (eds.) (1963–2007), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь русского языка], vols. 1–10 (A–M), Moskva: Izdatel'stvo Moskovskogo universiteta, p. 5, s.v. еще
  6. ^ Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 1, 259
  7. ^ a b c d e f g 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. 5, 67
  8. ^ Sorokin, Yu. S. et al. (eds.) (1984–), Slovar' russkogo jazyka XVIII veka [Словарь русского языка XVIII века], vols. 1–24, Leningrad / Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, p. s.v. еще
  9. ^ a b c d e f Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. ещё
  10. ^ Evgen'eva, A. P. (ed.) (1981–1984), Slovar' russkogo jazyka v četyrex tomax [Словарь русского языка в 4 тт.] (MAS), 2nd ed., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. s.v. ещё
  11. ^ Kuznetsov, S. A. (ed.) (1998), Bol'šoj tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Большой толковый словарь русского языка], Sankt-Peterburg: Norint, p. s.v. ещё
  12. ^ Ushakov, D. N. (ed.) (1935–1940), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4 vols., Moskva: Sovetskaja ènciklopedija / OGIZ, p. s.v. еще