Etymologically
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сам

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Pronunciation

Forms

сам (sam) m (neuter само́, feminine сама́, plural са́ми)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic самъ (samŭ), from Proto-Slavic *samъ (“self”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *sāmas, from Proto-Indo-European *somHós.[1] Shaposhnikov derives the Proto-Slavic pronoun from Indo-European *somos, a derivative of the stem *sem- “same, identical”.[2] It is shared by the Slavic languages: Old Church Slavonic самъ (samŭ), Ukrainian сам (sam, “alone, oneself”), Bulgarian сам (sam, “alone”), Czech sám and Polish sam.[3]

Its cognates are Sanskrit सम (samá, “even, same”), Avestan hama- (“equal, same”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (sama, “the same”), Old English same, Old Norse sǿmr (“fitting”), Ancient Greek ὁμός (homós, “common, like”) and Latin similis (“like”).[3][2] Further it is related to Ancient Greek εἷς (heîs, “one”) and Latin semel (“once”).[3] The long vowel of the Slavic word is, according to Machek, an expressive lengthening of an original short ⟨*sŏmos⟩.[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Ostromir Gospel of 1056–1057 has it in its basic emphatic sense: „въниде Иисус въ Каперънаумъ, самъ и мати его” “Jesus went down to Capernaum, he and his mother” (John 2:12).[4] SlRJa XI–XVII also quotes it from an 11th-century Gregory of Nazianzus: „и сами въ корабли погрязнемъ” “and we ourselves shall sink with the ship”.[5]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian used самъ for “that very one, as opposed to all others” and for “by oneself, without help”, as in бѣ нося свои крьстъ самъ “he bore his cross himself” (12th century).[5] Shaposhnikov records самъ, the long form самыи and самъ “alone” in the 11th–17th centuries, and lists the word in Berynda's dictionary of 1627 and сам in the dictionaries from 1704.[2]

As a word replacing the name of a superior, сам came to mean “master, head of the family”, and Zelenin noted it as a taboo word for the devil.[3] The colloquial сам “the master” and сама “the mistress” are in the modern dictionaries.[6]

Timeline

  • 1056–1057 – самъ “himself” in the Ostromir Gospel.[4]
  • 12th century – самъ “by oneself, unaided”.[5]
  • 1627 – recorded in Berynda's dictionary.[2]
  • 1704 – самъ in a dictionary.[2]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. oneself, in person: shows that someone does or undergoes the action personally.[6][1]
  2. By oneself, unaided, without being asked.[6]
  3. Stresses that a particular, often important, person or thing is meant: the director himself.[6]
  4. With a noun naming a quality: that quality personified.[6]
  5. The same as самый, “the very”.[6]

Noun

  1. (colloquial) сам the master, сама the mistress, the head of the house.[6][3]

Word family

  • самый
  • самостоятельный
  • самовар
  • самолёт
  • самоучка
  • Old East Slavic самъ (samŭ)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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, 298
  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. 3, 551–552
  4. ^ a b Vinogradova, V. L. (1965–1984), Slovar'-spravočnik «Slova o polku Igoreve» [Словарь-справочник «Слова о полку Игореве»], 6 vols., Moskva / Leningrad: Nauka
  5. ^ a b c 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. 23, 27
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. сам