Etymologically
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стог

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Pronunciation

Forms

стог (stog) m inan (genitive сто́га, nominative plural стога́, genitive plural стого́в)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic стогъ (stogŭ), from Proto-Slavic *stogъ (“stack, rick”).[1][2][3] The Church Slavonic texts of Russia and Serbia use Old Church Slavonic стогъ (stogŭ) for Ancient Greek θημών (thēmṓn, “heap of sheaves”).[2] The other Slavic forms are Ukrainian стіг (stih), Belarusian стог (stoh), Bulgarian стог (stog), Slovene stog, Czech stoh, Slovak stoh, Polish stóg, Upper Sorbian stóh and Lower Sorbian stog.[2]

The further origin is disputed.[2][1] Vasmer relates it to Old Norse stakkr (“haystack”) and staki (“pole, spear”), and puts стожар here too;[2] Wiktionary likewise derives it from Proto-Indo-European *stegʰ-, with Ancient Greek στόχος (stókhos, “brick pillar”) and the Old Norse word.[1] The widespread comparison with Lithuanian stógas (“roof”), Old Prussian steege (“barn”), στέγω (stégō, “to cover”), Latin tegō (“to cover”), tectum (“roof”) and toga, which Vasmer reports along with the objections of Guyer and Ternes,[2] is the one Shaposhnikov and Shansky follow: a root *steg- (“to cover”), so that a stack is “covered” hay.[4][5] Trubachev adds that Moszyński takes it from *stojati (“to stand”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is a Novgorod birchbark letter, no. 1023, of the 1160s–1190s, which mentions stacks in a note about oats and rye.[6] A 12th-century Menaion for December uses it figuratively of the Mother of God: „Стогъ гумьныи твое чрѣво” “thy womb is a stack on the threshing floor”.[7]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian стогъ was a stack of hay or of reaped grain;[6][8] a 12th–13th-century text also uses it for a large heap of firewood piled like a stack.[7] A 1651 inventory counts sheaves в трех стогах ржи “in three stacks of rye”.[7] Shaposhnikov finds the word in dictionaries from 1704.[4] Dal records стогом “in a heap, in abundance” from Vologda.[9] In the dialects a stack is built round a single upright pole, and a stack of rye sheaves can be laid on four poles.[10] The Slavic word passed into Romanian stog.[11]

Timeline

  • 1160s–1190s – стога in Novgorod birchbark letter no. 1023.[6]
  • 12th century – стогъ гумьныи in a Menaion for December.[7]
  • 1383 – стогы “stacks” in the Prologue of 1383.[6]
  • 1651 – в трех стогах ржи in an inventory.[7]
  • 1704 – first dictionary record.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A haystack, rick: a large tightly packed heap of hay, straw or unthreshed sheaves, round or rectangular with a rounded top, kept in the open.[12][13][14][1]
  2. (regional) A stack of hay or straw built round one upright pole.[10]

Word family

  • стожок
  • стоговой
  • стожар
  • Old East Slavic стогъ (stogŭ)

Usage notes

The locative is в стогу or в стоге, the plural стога́;[12][13] the plural стоги is dated.[15] The phrase как иголка в стогу сена is “like a needle in a haystack”.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 763
  3. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 468
  4. ^ a b c Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 2, 382
  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. стог
  6. ^ a b c d 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. 11, 534
  7. ^ a b c d e 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. 28, 72
  8. ^ 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. 3, s.v. стогъ
  9. ^ Dal', V. I. (1880–1882), Tolkovyj slovar' živago velikorusskago jazyka [Толковый словарь живаго великорусскаго языка], 2nd ed., 4 vols., Sankt-Peterburg / Moskva: M. O. Vol'f, p. s.v. стог
  10. ^ 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. 41, 171
  11. ^ Havlová, Eva; Erhart, Adolf; Janyšková, Ilona (eds.) (1989–2022), Etymologický slovník jazyka staroslověnského, 21 fascicles, Praha: Academia / Brno: Tribun EU
  12. ^ a b Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. стог
  13. ^ a b c 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. стог
  14. ^ 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. стог
  15. ^ Gorbanevsky, M. N.; Gerd, A. S. et al. (eds.) (2004–), Bol'šoj akademičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Большой академический словарь русского языка], Moskva / Sankt-Peterburg: Nauka, p. 27, s.v. стог