ли

Forms

ли (li)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic ли (li), from Proto-Slavic *li.^[1][2] The particle is shared by the Slavic languages: Old Church Slavonic ли (li), Ukrainian ли (ly), Belarusian лі (li), Czech li and Polish li.^[3][2] The short form ль arose in Old Russian in the 14th century.^[3]

Proto-Slavic ⟨*li⟩ is related to the particles ⟨*le⟩ and ⟨*lě⟩ (Old Russian лѣ (lě), dialect ⟨ле⟩).^[2][4] Vasmer assumes a particle ⟨*lei⟩ beside ⟨*le⟩ and compares Lithuanian nùli (“now”), Latvian nule (“just now”) and juõle (“all the more”).^[3] The permissive particle laĩ, laî, Old Prussian -lai differs in meaning, so Vasmer and Berneker doubted that it belongs here;^[3][2] Toporov later showed that the Baltic and Slavic forms belong together, and Shaposhnikov lists them as cognates.^[2][4] Brugmann's derivation from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to want”) is quite uncertain.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Tale of Boris and Gleb in the Uspensky Collection (a 12th-century copy of an 11th-century text) has „Узьрю ли си лице братьца моего мьньшааго Глѣба?” “Shall I see the face of my younger brother Gleb?”.^[5] The Laurentian copy (1377) of the Primary Chronicle has under 968 the Pecheneg prince's question „а ты князь ли еси?” “and are you a prince?”.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian used ли as an interrogative particle placed after the word that carries the question, as in the Lay of Igor's Campaign: „не ваю ли злачеными шеломы по крови плаваша?” “was it not your golden helmets that swam in blood?”.^[6][5] SlRJa XI–XVII also records it as a conjunction.^[6] The 18th-century dictionary has ли and ль and phrases such as нет ли “is there not…?”.^[7]

Modern Russian adds the conjunction “whether”, introducing an indirect question, and a dated bookish conditional “if”.^[8][4]

Timeline

• 12th century – ли in the Tale of Boris and Gleb (Uspensky Collection).^[5]
• 14th century – the short form ль.^[3]
• 1377 – князь ли еси in the Laurentian copy of the Primary Chronicle, under 968.^[6]

Meanings

Particle

1. An interrogative particle placed after the word in question: is it…?, does…?^[8][1]
2. (folk poetry) Stresses the word it follows.^[9]

Conjunction

1. whether, if: introduces an indirect question.^[8][1]
2. (dated, bookish) If, in case: introduces a condition.^[8]

Word family

• или
• ль

Related words

• Old East Slavic ли (li)

Usage notes

Ли is an enclitic: it always follows the word it refers to.^[10] Paired ли … ли and ли … или mean “whether … or”.^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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. 9, s.v. ли
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, 491–492
4. ^ a b c Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 1, 469
5. ^ a b c Vinogradova, V. L. (1965–1984), Slovar'-spravočnik «Slova o polku Igoreve» [Словарь-справочник «Слова о полку Игореве»], 6 vols., Moskva / Leningrad: Nauka
6. ^ 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. 8, 229
7. ^ 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. ли
8. ^ 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. ли
9. ^ Kuznetsov, S. A. (ed.) (1998), Bol'šoj tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Большой толковый словарь русского языка], Sankt-Peterburg: Norint, p. s.v. ли
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. ли
11. ^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 2, 491