Etymologically
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о

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о1 about, against (preposition)

Pronunciation

  • [ə], [ɐ], [o][1]

Forms

о (o)[1] Before vowels it is об, and обо before some groups of consonants (обо мне).[2][3] It is unstressed, except where the stress passes to it from the noun, as in бок о́ бок and о́б пол.[4]

Etymology

The preposition is inherited from Old East Slavic о (o), beside объ (obŭ), from Proto-Slavic *o(b).[1][5][6] It is Old Church Slavonic о (o) or объ (obŭ) in Old Church Slavonic, translating Ancient Greek περί (perí) and κατά (katá), Ukrainian о (o), Bulgarian о (o), Czech o and Polish o.[5] Vasmer reconstructs the Proto-Slavic form without a final jer, since only ⟨-бв-⟩ could give ⟨-б-⟩, as in оболочка, обоз and обонять; обо arose beside об after the loss of the weak jers, like со beside с, and the form without ⟨б⟩ comes from *ob- before consonants.[5][3]

In Slavic two Indo-European prepositions fell together: Proto-Indo-European *obʰi and *opi or *epi.[5][3] To the first belong Old Persian abiy (“to, towards”) and Latin ob (“towards, on account of”); to the second Lithuanian apiẽ (“about”), Latvian ap (“around”) and Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “on”).[5] Old Prussian ep-, which renders German ⟨be-⟩, is related too.[5] Wiktionary reconstructs *h₃ebʰi.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Izbornik of 1076 has it with the locative for the object of a feeling: „Скорби о грѣсѣхъ. въздыхаи о съблазнѣхъ” “grieve over sins, sigh over temptations”.[7]

Semantic evolution

With the accusative it marked contact or collision, as in „и акы о камыкъ бо приразивъшесѧ ѡскакахѹ” “and as if dashed against a stone they sprang back” in the Life of Theodosius of the Caves (12th century); with the locative it marked the object of thought, feeling or action, its cause, and the sphere something applies to.[7] The Lay of Igor's Campaign uses it of weapons ringing on helmets: „саблямъ потручяти о шеломы Половецкыя”.[8] Shaposhnikov records о, об and объ in the 11th–17th centuries.[6] The sense “having”, as in дом о трёх окнах “a house with three windows”, is now dated or regional.[2]

Timeline

  • 1076 – о грѣсѣхъ “over sins” in the Izbornik of 1076.[7]
  • 12th century – о камыкъ “against a stone” in the Life of Theodosius of the Caves.[7]
  • end of the 12th century – о шеломы “on the helmets” in the Lay of Igor's Campaign.[8]
  • 1377 – ѹдари имь ѡ землю “struck him against the ground”, under 992, in the Laurentian Chronicle.[7]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. With the accusative: against, on, of contact or collision: удариться коленом о стол.[2][4][1]
  2. With the prepositional: about, concerning, of: книга о войне.[2][1]
  3. (dated, regional) With the prepositional: having, with: изба о двух дверях.[2]

о2 oh! (interjection)

Pronunciation

Etymology

The interjection is inherited from Old East Slavic о (o), from Proto-Slavic *o, a natural exclamation.[1] Vasmer lists Old Church Slavonic о (o) for Ancient Greek ὦ (ô), Ukrainian о (o), Bulgarian о (o), Slovene ō, Czech o and Polish o, but doubts that these forms are historically connected, given their different vowel lengths.[9] Trubachev compares, as exclamations of similar origin, Latin ō, ōh, Gothic 𐍉 (ō, “oh, fie!”) and German oh, and thinks the Czech interjection may come from German.[9] Shaposhnikov calls it a pure interjection inherited from Proto-Slavic, without regular kin,[6] and Shansky and Bobrova a reflex cry of surprise or delight.[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

SDRJa counts 722 instances in Old Russian; the oldest are of the 12th century, such as „о увы мнѣ г҃не мои” “O woe is me, my lord” in the Tale of Boris and Gleb, and „ѡ страшьно и дивьно чюдо” “O fearful and wondrous miracle” in another 12th-century text.[7]

Semantic evolution

The Lay of Igor's Campaign uses it in rhetorical address, nine times: „О Руская землѣ! уже за шеломянемъ еси!” “O Russian land, you are already beyond the hill!”.[8] Shaposhnikov notes it in the 11th–17th centuries for admiration, fright, indignation and other feelings.[6]

Timeline

  • 12th century – о увы мнѣ “O woe is me” in the Tale of Boris and Gleb.[7]
  • end of the 12th century – О Руская землѣ! in the Lay of Igor's Campaign.[8]

Meanings

Interjection

  1. oh, O: expresses a strong feeling such as delight, surprise or grief: о, как здесь красиво!.[6][11][1]
  2. Strengthens a yes or a no: о нет!.[6]
  • об
  • обо
  • Old East Slavic о (o)

Usage notes

The letter is called о; its Old Russian name was онъ, the word for “he”.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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. о
  3. ^ a b c Tsyganenko, G. P. (1989), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь русского языка], 2nd ed., Kiev: Radjans'ka škola, p. s.v. о
  4. ^ a b Ushakov, D. N. (ed.) (1935–1940), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4 vols., Moskva: Sovetskaja ènciklopedija / OGIZ, p. s.v. о
  5. ^ 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. 3, 96
  6. ^ a b c d e f Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 2, 34
  7. ^ a b c d e f g 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. о
  8. ^ a b c d 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. о
  9. ^ a b c Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 95
  10. ^ 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. о
  11. ^ 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. о