Etymologically
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князь

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Pronunciation

Forms

князь (knjazʹ) m anim (genitive кня́зя, nominative plural князья́ or кня́зи^*, genitive plural князе́й or князе́й, female equivalent княги́ня, relational adjective кня́жеский or кня́жий, diminutive князёк, pejorative collective князьё or княжьё, expressive term (endearing) кня́зюшка) (* uncommon)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic кънѧзь (kŭnęzĭ), from Proto-Slavic *kъnędzь (“ruler, prince”), earlier *kъnęgъ.[1][2] Proto-Slavic borrowed it from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz (“chief of a kin, king”), the word that gave Old High German kuning, derived from kuni (“kin”).[3][4] ESRJa traces the Germanic noun, with the suffix *-inga, to a word for “kin” from Proto-Indo-European *gen- (“to beget”).[4] The same Germanic word gave Finnish kuningas (“king”) and Estonian kuningas.[3]

In Slavic the ⟨u⟩ became ⟨ъ⟩, ⟨in⟩ became the nasal ⟨ę⟩, and the ⟨g⟩ after it became ⟨dz⟩, later ⟨z⟩; княгиня kept the ⟨g⟩.[5][1] The word is common Slavic: Old Church Slavonic кънѧѕь (kŭnędzĭ) renders Ancient Greek ἡγεμών (hēgemṓn) and ἄρχων (árkhōn), Bulgarian кнез (knez, “headman”), Czech kněz (“priest”) and Polish ksiądz (“priest”).[3][4] Lithuanian kunigas (“priest”) and Latvian kungs (“lord”) have the same source.[2]

Ekblom argued for a later date of the borrowing,[3] and Lvov held that the East Slavs took the word from the eastern Bulgarians, not before the 11th century.[4] Ondruš proposed a native Slavic origin and a borrowing in the other direction.[1] ксёндз, from Polish, and конунг go back to the same word.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is in the Ostromir Gospel of 1056–1057, which also has the adjective кънѧжь.[6][7] The Lay of Igor's Campaign uses it 35 times for the rulers of the Rus' principalities: „Тогда въступи Игорь князь въ златъ стремень” “Then Prince Igor set foot in the golden stirrup”.[8] Sreznevsky glosses it “prince, sovereign, boyar, magnate, prince without a domain, bridegroom”.[9]

Semantic evolution

The plural князья comes from the Old Russian collective княжья.[3] The 18th century used князь for the ruler of a principality in old Rus', for the chief of a tribe or horde (“every horde has its prince, or murza”, 1710), and for some Western European rulers.[10] The title became hereditary in some noble families; since the 18th century the emperor could also grant it.[11] Before 1917 it was also a scornful name for a Tatar.[12]

The senses “bridegroom” and “boil” arose from taboo.[3] Wedding speech had князь молодой “the bridegroom” (Belozersk 1852), and in many regions князь is the ridge beam of a roof (Academy dictionary 1814).[13][14] As a peasant nickname it is recorded from 1495.[15] Bulgarian княз “prince” was borrowed from Russian and is recorded from 1806;[16] Karelian, Yakut кинээс and Mansi took it too.[1]

Timeline

  • 1056–1057 – кънѧзь in the Ostromir Gospel.[6]
  • end of the 12th century – Игорь князь “Prince Igor” in the Lay of Igor's Campaign.[8]
  • 1495 – Князь as a peasant's nickname.[15]
  • 1710 – the chief of a horde called князь in a geography book.[10]
  • 1814 – the ridge beam of a roof, in the Academy dictionary.[14]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (historical) A prince: in feudal Rus', the leader of a host and ruler of a territory.[17][18][1]
  2. A hereditary title of nobility, also granted by the tsar, and one who holds it.[17][18]
  3. (dated, colloquial) A scornful name for a Tatar.[12][11]
  4. (folk poetry) A bridegroom.[11][13]
  5. (regional) The ridge beam of a roof.[14]

Word family

  • княгиня
  • княжна
  • княжество
  • княжеский
  • княжий
  • князёк
  • княжить
  • ксёндз
  • конунг
  • Old East Slavic кънѧзь (kŭnęzĭ)

Usage notes

Великий князь was the title of the senior prince in old Rus', and in imperial Russia of a son, brother or grandson of the emperor.[12] The plural is князья;[1] князи is rare.[1] Set phrases include князь тьмы “the Devil” and из грязи в князи “from rags to riches”.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 1, 405
  3. ^ a b c d e f Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 266
  4. ^ a b c d 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. 8, s.v. князь
  5. ^ 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. князь
  6. ^ a b Georgiev, Vladimir I. et al. (eds.) (1971–), Bălgarski etimologičen rečnik, Sofija: Izdatelstvo na Bălgarskata akademija na naukite
  7. ^ Miklosich, Franz (1862–1865), Lexicon palaeoslovenico-graeco-latinum emendatum auctum, Vindobonae: Braumüller
  8. ^ 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. князь
  9. ^ 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. кънѧзь
  10. ^ 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. 10, 72
  11. ^ a b c Efremova, T. F. (2000), Novyj slovar' russkogo jazyka. Tolkovo-slovoobrazovatel'nyj [Новый словарь русского языка. Толково-словообразовательный], 2 vols., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. s.v. князь
  12. ^ a b c Ushakov, D. N. (ed.) (1935–1940), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4 vols., Moskva: Sovetskaja ènciklopedija / OGIZ, p. s.v. князь
  13. ^ 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. 13, 353
  14. ^ a b c 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. 13, 354
  15. ^ a b Tupikov, N. M. (1903), Slovar' drevne-russkix ličnyx sobstvennyx imen [Словарь древне-русских личных собственных имен], Sankt-Peterburg, p. 183
  16. ^ Georgiev, Vladimir I. et al. (eds.) (1971–), Bălgarski etimologičen rečnik, Sofija: Izdatelstvo na Bălgarskata akademija na naukite, p. 2, 499
  17. ^ a b c Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. князь
  18. ^ a b 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. князь