Etymologically
Log in

и

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 00:37. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • [i], [ɪ], [ɨ][1]

Forms

и (i)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic и (i, “and, also, even”), from Proto-Slavic *i.[1][2][3] The other Slavic languages have the same word: Old Church Slavonic и (i), Ukrainian і (i), Bulgarian и (i), Serbo-Croatian i, Polish i and Czech i.[2]

Vasmer thinks it probably comes from Proto-Indo-European *ei, an old locative singular of the demonstrative stem ⟨*e-/*o-⟩, like Ancient Greek εἰ (ei, “if”), εἶτα (eîta, “then”) and Gothic 𐌴𐌹 (ei);[2][1] Shaposhnikov and Wiktionary say the same, Wiktionary writing *h₁ey.[2][3][1] Vasmer also allows a link with Lithuanian ir̃ (“and”), Latvian ir (“and, also”) and Old Prussian ir.[2] He finds less likely an ablative ⟨*ēd⟩ compared with Old Lithuanian ė̃ (“but”) (Zubatý, Brugmann), and doubtful a link with jei (“if”) (Brückner).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Shaposhnikov notes the conjunction in the Russian of the 11th–17th centuries;[3] Sreznevsky's materials list it.[4] The Lay of Igor's Campaign uses it 88 times, as in the address „Братіе и дружино!” “Brothers and retinue!”[5]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian и meant “and”, “also” and “even”, as the emphatic particle still does.[2][1] Modern Russian also opens a narrative sentence with и, linking it to what went before, and uses it in questions and exclamations whose tone follows from the situation: И вы согласились?![6]

Timeline

  • 11th–17th centuries – и in Russian texts.[3]
  • end of the 12th century – и 88 times in the Lay of Igor's Campaign.[5]

Meanings

Conjunction

  1. and: joins words of the same kind or the clauses of a sentence; repeated, и … и “both … and”.[6][3][1]
  2. Opens a sentence in narrative, marking its link to what came before or a change of events.[6][3]
  3. Introduces a question or exclamation whose judgement follows from the preceding situation.[6][3]

Particle

  1. even, too: stresses a word, a contrast or the truth of a statement.[1][2]
  • Old East Slavic и (i)

Usage notes

И is also the name of the letter, an indeclinable neuter noun, and the Russian name of the Yi people of China, from Mandarin.[1] The old alphabet had и with the numeral value 8 beside і with the value 10, and the ижица for Greek υ;[2] і was dropped in the spelling reform of 1917.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 112–113
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 1, 332
  4. ^ Sreznevsky, I. I. (1893–1912), Materialy dlja slovarja drevne-russkago jazyka po pis'mennym pamjatnikam [Материалы для словаря древнерусского языка по письменным памятникам], 3 vols., Sankt-Peterburg: Imperatorskaja Akademija nauk, p. 1, s.v. и
  5. ^ 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. и
  6. ^ 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. и