к

Forms

к (k)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic къ (kŭ), from Proto-Slavic *kъ.^[1][2] Wiktionary and Tsyganenko set up a by-form *kъn, which survives in к нему “to him”.^[1][3] The preposition is shared by all the Slavic languages: Ukrainian к (k), Belarusian к (k), Old Church Slavonic къ (kŭ), Bulgarian към (kăm) beside к (k), Serbo-Croatian ка (ka), Slovene k, Czech k, Slovak ku, Polish ku and Polabian ka.^[2] Russian dialects of the Oryol and Kursk regions also have кы and ик.^[2]

Vasmer relates it to an emphatic Vedic postposition placed after the dative and to Avestan kąm (“for the sake of”);^[2] Tsyganenko derives it from Proto-Indo-European *ḱom.^[3] Some scholars also connect Latin cum (“with”) and the Celtic prefix com-, which Vasmer leaves to Walde and Hofmann.^[2] Vaillant stressed that the Slavic word was only a preposition, but Trubachev points to its use as a prefix in кудель and кудри.^[2] Tsyganenko and Preobrazhensky connect the particle -ка, as in скажи-ка.^[3][4]

The modern form comes from the Old Russian one through the loss of the weak jer, and the variant ко from the jer in a strong position.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Izbornik of 1076 has „приде къ немоу нѣкыи оуношА красьнъ зѣло” “a very handsome youth came to him”.^[5] SDRJa counts about 12,000 uses in Old Russian texts.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Already in the Izbornik of 1076 the preposition marks direction in space, address to someone and a relation (“pleasing to God”); the Tale of Boris and Gleb (12th century) uses it for addition, “adding lawlessness to lawlessness”.^[5] The temporal sense “towards (a time)” is in a manuscript of 1296: „къ вечероу” “towards evening”.^[5] Old Russian also used it for the person something is meant for.^[5] Bulgarian has replaced it largely with към.^[2]

Timeline

• 1076 – „къ немоу” “to him” in the Izbornik of 1076.^[5]
• 12th century – „побѣже къ олтарю” “ran to the altar” in the Tale of Boris and Gleb.^[5]
• 1296 – the temporal sense „къ вечероу” “towards evening”.^[5]

Meanings

Preposition

1. (with the dative) to, towards: direction in space, подойти к окну “to go up to the window”.^[6][1]
2. Towards, by (a time): approaching a moment or the end of something.^[6]
3. Marks an attitude or relation: love of order, readiness for work.^[6]
4. Marks addition or what goes with something: jam with one's tea.^[6]
5. Marks belonging to a class or group.^[6]

Related words

• -ка
• Old East Slavic къ (kŭ)

Usage notes

Before some consonant clusters and in some phrases the form is ко.^[2][3] The letter К, named ка, and the abbreviation к for кило- are separate words.^[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. 2, 146–147
3. ^ a b c d e Tsyganenko, G. P. (1989), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь русского языка], 2nd ed., Kiev: Radjans'ka škola, p. s.v. к
4. ^ Preobrazhensky, A. G. (1910–1914), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь русского языка], 2 vols. (A–T; vol. 3, T–Ja, 1949), Moskva: Lissner & Sovko, p. 1, 461
5. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. 4, 342
6. ^ 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. к