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Etymology and origin of the Russian word тут

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1297–1300 a Smolensk treaty charter
Inherited from
Old East Slavic тутъ
Ultimate origin
Proto-Slavic *tuto

Pronunciation

Forms

тут (tut)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic тутъ (tutŭ) beside туто (tuto) “here”, from Proto-Slavic *tuto beside *tu.[1][2] Old Russian also had the plain ту (tu) “there, thither, here”.[2][3] The Slavic languages have Old Church Slavonic тоу (tu, “there”), Bulgarian тука (tuka, “here”), Serbo-Croatian tu (“there, here”), Slovene tù (“here”), Czech tu and tuto (“here”), Polish tu and tutaj (“here”), and Ukrainian тут (tut).[2]

The word is linked with the pronoun stem *to- of тот.[2][4] Shansky and Bobrova analyse it as the locative singular of the pronoun тъ (tŭ), with the particle ⟨-то⟩ that is also in кто and что.[5][6] The longer form then lost its unstressed final ⟨о⟩.[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The plain ту is in the oldest texts: the Ostromir Gospel (1056–1057) has „и ту не мъногы дьни прѣбысть” “and there He stayed not many days”, and the Izbornik of 1076 uses it for “here”, of God present everywhere.[3] Тутъ is in a Smolensk treaty of 1297–1300: „Кто былъ туть, то будеть послухъ” “whoever was present shall be a witness”.[7] Vasmer cites тут from a charter of 1350.[2]

Semantic evolution

Dialects keep the fuller forms туто, тута, тутова and тутотка.[2] Old Russian тутъ and туто meant “here, in this place” and also “at this point, then”; the Hypatian Chronicle, in its copy of about 1425, has туто under 1239, and the Zadonshchina has „Туто поганые разлучишася розно” “here the pagans scattered”.[7] Shaposhnikov dates the first dictionary record of тут to 1704.[4]

In modern Russian it is a colloquial synonym of здесь and also a particle stressing doubt or denial: какой тут отдых! “what rest can there be!”.[8] In northern and Uralic dialects тут can mean “hither” or “thither”.[9]

Timeline

  • 1056–1057 – ту “there” in the Ostromir Gospel.[3]
  • 1076 – ту “here” in the Izbornik of 1076.[3]
  • 1297–1300 – туть in a Smolensk treaty charter.[7]
  • 1350 – тут in a charter.[2]
  • about 1425 – туто in the Hypatian Chronicle copy, under the year 1239.[7]
  • 1704 – first record in a dictionary.[4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. (colloquial) here, in this place.[8][10][1]
  2. At this point, then: тут он замолчал “at this he fell silent”.[10][1]

Particle

  1. (colloquial) With pronominal words, stresses denial or a negative attitude: где тут успеть! “how could anyone manage!”.[8][11]

Word family

  • туточки
  • тутошний
  • тот
  • там
  • Old East Slavic ту (tu)
  • Old Church Slavonic тоу (tu)

Usage notes

Set phrases include и всё тут “and that's that” and тут как тут “there in a flash”.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. 4, 126
  3. ^ a b c d 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. 30, 214
  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, 435
  5. ^ a b 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. тут
  6. ^ a b Tsyganenko, G. P. (1989), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь русского языка], 2nd ed., Kiev: Radjans'ka škola, p. s.v. тут
  7. ^ a b c d 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. 30, 233
  8. ^ a b c d Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. тут
  9. ^ 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. 45, 290
  10. ^ a b 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. тут
  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. тут

Related etymologies

  • вода · also from Old East Slavic
  • быть · also from Old East Slavic
  • с · also from Old East Slavic
  • на · also from Old East Slavic
  • в · also from Old East Slavic
  • и · also from Old East Slavic
  • что · also from Old East Slavic
  • не · also from Old East Slavic
Cite this entry

“Тут.” Etymologically, 31 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/ru/%D1%82%D1%83%D1%82. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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