жертва

Forms

же́ртва (žértva) f anim or f inan (genitive же́ртвы, nominative plural же́ртвы, genitive plural жертв)^[1] Old Russian texts write the word жьртва, жрътва and жерътва as well: „Агньца на жьртву пьрвое принесе” “he first brought the lamb as a sacrifice” (a 12th-century Stikhirar).^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old Church Slavonic жрьтва (žrĭtva, “sacrifice”), which translates Ancient Greek θυσία (thusía) and σπονδή (spondḗ) in the Suprasliensis and the Glagolita Clozianus.^[3][1] Vasmer takes it from Church Slavonic because it has /e/ where a native word would have /o/ (⟨ё⟩);^[3] Wiktionary gives the inherited form as ⟨жёртва⟩.^[1] ESRJa agrees that it is Church Slavonic, but on the evidence of the word's history in the literary language, not of its vowel.^[4] Shaposhnikov derives it straight from Proto-Slavic.^[5]

The Slavic noun is Proto-Slavic *žьrtva (“sacrifice”), made with the suffix ⟨-tva⟩ (as in молитва and битва) from the verb *žьrti (“to sacrifice”), to which жрец also belongs.^[5][6][7] Its relatives in the other languages mean “to praise”: Lithuanian gìrti (“to praise”), gẽras (“good”), Old Prussian girtwei (“to praise”), Sanskrit गृणाति (gr̥ṇā́ti, “sings, praises”), Avestan gar (“praise, reward”) and Latin grātus (“welcome, pleasing, grateful”).^[3] Chernykh and Shaposhnikov trace them to an Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- (“to praise, extol”).^[8][5][1] Shansky and Bobrova conclude that the word first meant “thanksgiving” and then “a gift given in thanks”.^[6] Tsyganenko instead connects the verb with the root of гореть and греть, so that it first meant a burnt offering.^[9]

Ukrainian ⟨жертва⟩ and Polish ⟨żertwa⟩ were taken from Russian.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Chernykh dates the word in Old Russian from the 11th century, at first mostly in the Church Slavonic form жрътва.^[8] The oldest dated quotation in SDRJa is in a Stikhirar of 1156–1163, which speaks of the sacrifices of dumb animals once brought in Solomon's temple: „бесловесьнъ скотъ, животьныихъ жьртвы”.^[10] SlRJa XI–XVII also lists the sense “the rite of sacrifice” in a 12th-century Stikhirar.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian used the word for pagan, Old Testament and Christian sacrifice alike: the Laurentian Codex of 1377 says of Boris, killed in 1015, that he was brought на жертву to God like a spotless lamb.^[10] The Christian безкровная жертва “bloodless sacrifice”, the bread and wine of the Eucharist, is recorded from 1656.^[2] The verb жертвовать appears in Polikarpov's dictionary of 1704.^[8][5]

A figurative “sacrifice of gratitude” is quoted from 1776.^[11] In the 19th century the word came to mean a victim, someone who suffers from another's will or from circumstances: Michelson quotes Pushkin's Я жертва клеветы “I am a victim of slander”.^[12] Dal gives both senses beside the old one: giving something up out of duty, and a person harmed by something.^[13] In the north the word meant the animals and produce brought to church to be blessed, such as the rams slaughtered for St Elijah's day in Olonets.^[14] Slang uses жертва аборта as an ironic form of address, after Ilf and Petrov's The Twelve Chairs.^[15]

Timeline

• 1156–1163 – жьртвы “sacrifices” of animals in a Stikhirar.^[10]
• 1377 – на жертву of Boris, in the Laurentian Codex under the year 1015.^[10]
• 1656 – безкровная жертва, the Eucharist, in the Skrizhal.^[2]
• 1704 – the verb жертвовать in Polikarpov's dictionary.^[8][5]
• 1776 – a figurative sacrifice “of the most heartfelt gratitude”.^[11]
• 1907 – жертва, produce brought to church to be blessed, recorded in Vyatka.^[14]

Meanings

Noun

1. In ancient religions, an object or a living creature, usually killed, offered as a gift to a deity: a sacrifice or offering.^[16][17]
2. (dated) The act of sacrifice itself, a sacrificial rite.^[17]
3. (dated) A gift for a good cause, a donation: собирать жертвы на больницу is to collect donations for a hospital.^[17][18]
4. (elevated) Giving up something of one's own for the sake of someone or something, self-sacrifice: пойти на жертвы ради детей is to make sacrifices for one's children.^[16]
5. A person who suffers from violence, misfortune or failure, a victim; among the dead and injured of a disaster, a casualty.^[16][1]

Word family

• жертвовать
• пожертвовать
• пожертвование
• самопожертвование
• жертвенный
• жертвенник
• жертвоприношение

Related words

• жрец
• Old Church Slavonic жрьтва (žrĭtva)
• Old East Slavic жьртва (žĭrtva)

Usage notes

The word is animate in the sense “victim” and may be inanimate in the others.^[1] Принести в жертву is “to sacrifice”, and пасть жертвой “to fall victim”.^[16]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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, 94
3. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 50
4. ^ 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. жертва
5. ^ a b c d e Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 1, 269
6. ^ a b Shansky, N. M.; Bobrova, T. A. (2004), Škol'nyj ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Школьный этимологический словарь русского языка], 7th ed., Moskva: Drofa, p. s.v. жертва
7. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 566
8. ^ a b c d 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. жертва
9. ^ Tsyganenko, G. P. (1989), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь русского языка], 2nd ed., Kiev: Radjans'ka škola, p. s.v. жертва
10. ^ a b c d 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. 3, 273
11. ^ a b 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. жертва
12. ^ Michelson, M. I. (1902–1903), Russkaja mysl' i reč'. Svoe i čužoe. Opyt russkoj frazeologii [Русская мысль и речь. Свое и чужое. Опыт русской фразеологии], 2 vols., Sankt-Peterburg, p. s.v. жертва
13. ^ Dal', V. I. (1880–1882), Tolkovyj slovar' živago velikorusskago jazyka [Толковый словарь живаго великорусскаго языка], 2nd ed., 4 vols., Sankt-Peterburg / Moskva: M. O. Vol'f, p. s.v. жертва
14. ^ a b Filin, F. P.; Sorokoletov, F. P.; Myznikov, S. A. (eds.) (1965–), Slovar' russkix narodnyx govorov [Словарь русских народных говоров], vols. 1–51, Moskva / Leningrad / Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, p. 9, 144
15. ^ Elistratov, V. S. (2000), Slovar' russkogo argo [Словарь русского арго], Moskva: Russkie slovari, p. s.v. жертва
16. ^ a b c d Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. жертва
17. ^ a b c 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. жертва
18. ^ Ushakov, D. N. (ed.) (1935–1940), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4 vols., Moskva: Sovetskaja ènciklopedija / OGIZ, p. s.v. жертва