тогда

Forms

тогда́ (togdá)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic тогда (togda), from Proto-Slavic *togъda (“then”).^[1][2] Old Russian also had тогды (togdy), which survives in popular speech.^[2] Related forms are Old Church Slavonic тогда (togda) beside тъгда (tŭgda), Ukrainian тоді (todi), Bulgarian тога (toga), Czech tehdy and Polish tedy; Serbo-Croatian tada and Slovene táda have no ⟨g⟩.^[2]

It is formed like когда and всегда, with the pronoun stem *to- of тот in its first part.^[2][3] The second part is unclear.^[2][4] A comparison with Lithuanian tadà (“then”) suggests itself, but the old forms have ⟨-gda, -gdy⟩.^[2] Because of Latvian tagad (“now”) and Ukrainian тогід (tohid, “last year”), some saw in it a case form of *godъ (“time”);^[5] Vasmer finds a genitive doubtful because of the final stress, and an old instrumental with a long vowel fails to explain the short first vowel.^[2] He also finds a blend of two older adverbs unsatisfactory, and Lyapunov disputed an original *to-kъda.^[2] Shaposhnikov allows either a suffix ⟨-gda/-gdy⟩ of unclear make-up or a suffix ⟨-da/-dy⟩ added to the genitive того.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is in the colophon of the Ostromir Gospel (1056–1057): „изѧславоу же кънѧзоу тогда прѣдрьжащоу обѣ власти” “Prince Izyaslav then holding both domains”.^[6] The text of the same Gospel has „Будеть бо скърбь тогда велика” “for then there will be great tribulation”.^[7]

Semantic evolution

In Old Russian the adverb meant “at that time” and also “after that, thereupon”; a birchbark letter of the mid-12th century has the form тьгда with a jer.^[6] The Lay of Igor's Campaign repeats it in its narrative: „Тогда Игорь възрѣ на свѣтлое солнце” “then Igor looked up at the bright sun”.^[5] Shaposhnikov dates the first dictionary record to 1627.^[4]

The conditional sense “in that case” and the correlative use with когда or если belong to the modern language.^[8][9] In northern folk epic тогда could mean “when”,^[10] and dialects of Perm and Vyatka have тогды and толды.^[9]

Timeline

• 1056–1057 – тогда in the colophon and text of the Ostromir Gospel.^[6][7]
• 1076 – тъгда in the Izbornik of 1076.^[7]
• mid-12th century – тьгда in a Novgorod birchbark letter (No. 831).^[6]
• end of the 12th century – тогда in the Lay of Igor's Campaign.^[5]
• 1627 – first record in a dictionary.^[4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. then, at that time, in the past or the future: тогда он был ещё ребёнком “he was still a child then”.^[8][11]
2. At that very moment, right after something: поешь, тогда пойдём “eat, then we'll go”.^[8][12]
3. In that case: не хочешь — тогда не ходи “if you don't want to, then don't go”.^[8][1]
4. In a main clause, answering когда, если or раз in the subordinate clause.^[8][13]

Word family

• тогдашний
• тогда-то
• тогда как

Related words

• всегда
• когда
• тот
• Old East Slavic тогда (togda)

Usage notes

тогда как is a conjunction “whereas, while”.^[4][1] Colloquial speech may drop the /ɡ/: [tɐˈda].^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 4, 68–69
3. ^ 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. тогда
4. ^ a b c d e Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 2, 418
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, p. s.v. тогда
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. 13, 564
7. ^ 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. 29, 384
8. ^ 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. тогда
9. ^ a b 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. тогда
10. ^ 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. 44, 166
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. тогда
12. ^ Kuznetsov, S. A. (ed.) (1998), Bol'šoj tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Большой толковый словарь русского языка], Sankt-Peterburg: Norint, p. s.v. тогда
13. ^ 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. тогда