Etymologically
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но

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Pronunciation

Forms

но (no)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic нъ (nŭ, “but, however, only”), from Proto-Slavic *nъ.[1][2] Old Church Slavonic нъ (nŭ) renders Ancient Greek ἀλλά (allá), and Bulgarian нъ (nŭ) stands beside но (no).[2] Chernykh lists Ukrainian но (no), Belarusian но (no), Slovene no and Slovak no, and notes that the West Slavic languages mostly use Polish ale in this sense.[3]

Vasmer and Wiktionary relate it to Proto-Indo-European *nu (“now”) (see ныне), with Lithuanian nu (“now; well”), Latvian nu (“now”), Ancient Greek νῦν (nûn, “now”), Gothic 𐌽𐌿 (nu, “now”) and Old High German nū;[2][1] Wiktionary also compares the English word now and Latin num.[1] Vasmer finds a derivation from *nom and a close link with the Latin word less likely.[2] Shansky and Bobrova give the original sense as “now, at this moment”.[4]

Chernykh finds the origin less clear: a Proto-Slavic word from the Indo-European adverb would not explain the vowel of the Bulgarian and Serbo-Croatian forms, and he asks whether a form *no is connected with the pronoun *onъ, comparing Old Russian ано (ano, “but, yet”) from а оно (a ono); the sense “but” may have arisen in clauses that contrast “then” with “now”.[3] Shaposhnikov leaves both explanations open: a demonstrative particle as in он and оно, or the Indo-European word for “now”.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Ostromir Gospel of 1056–1057 has нъ in its scribe's afterword: „молю же вьсѣхъ почитаѭщихъ не мозѣте клѧти. нъ исправльше. почитаите” “I beg all who read it: do not curse, but correct it and read”.[6]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian нъ meant “but, however” and also “even” and “only”, and a form ну was used in the same senses.[3] Shaposhnikov records ано, но and нъ in the 11th–17th centuries.[5] The Lay of Igor's Campaign has нъ eight times, as in „Нъ нечестно одолѣсте” “but you won without honour”.[7]

The modern language also uses но as an indeclinable noun, “an objection, a snag”;[8] Michelson quotes the saying Кабы не кабы, да не но, то был бы генералом давно “but for the ifs and buts I'd have been a general long ago”.[9] Russian lent the conjunction to Ingrian and Votic;[1] in Karelian and Veps dialects no is an affirmative particle “yes, well”.[10]

Timeline

  • 1056–1057 – нъ “but” in the scribe's afterword to the Ostromir Gospel.[6]
  • 1189–1199 – нъ in a Novgorod treaty charter.[6]
  • end of the 12th century – нъ eight times in the Lay of Igor's Campaign.[7]

Meanings

Conjunction

  1. but, yet: joins words or clauses that contrast with or limit one another: старый, но крепкий дом.[8][11][1]
  2. Opens a sentence that sets a new thought against everything said before.[12]

Noun

  1. (colloquial, indeclinable) An objection or obstacle: тут есть одно серьёзное но.[8][13]
  • ныне
  • ано
  • Old East Slavic нъ (nŭ)

Usage notes

Но is also a cry that urges on a horse, usually repeated (но-о-о), and a warning or threat;[5][13] and an indeclinable masculine noun for the Japanese Noh theatre, borrowed from Japanese 能 (Nō).[1][14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 77
  3. ^ a b c 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. но
  4. ^ 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. но
  5. ^ a b c Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 2, 25
  6. ^ a b c 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. s.v. нъ
  7. ^ 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. нъ
  8. ^ 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. но
  9. ^ 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. Но
  10. ^ Myznikov, S. A. (2019), Russkij dialektnyj ètimologičeskij slovar'. Leksika kontaktnyx regionov [Русский диалектный этимологический словарь. Лексика контактных регионов], Moskva / Sankt-Peterburg: Nestor-Istorija, p. 530
  11. ^ 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. но
  12. ^ Ushakov, D. N. (ed.) (1935–1940), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4 vols., Moskva: Sovetskaja ènciklopedija / OGIZ, p. s.v. но
  13. ^ a b 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. но
  14. ^ Викисловарь (Russian Wiktionary), https://ru.wiktionary.org