Etymologically
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ходить

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Pronunciation

  • [xɐˈdʲitʲ][1]

Forms

ходи́ть (xodítʹ) impf (perfective сходи́ть, verbal noun (nomen actionis) хожде́ние or (nomen actionis) ходьба́ or (nomen actionis, nomen resultatis, nomen loci) ход or (nomen actionis) хо́дка or (nomen agentis) ходо́к or (nomen instrumenti) ходу́ли or (nomen instrumenti) ходунки́, verbal adjective ходя́чий or хожа́лый)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic ходити (xoditi), from Proto-Slavic *xoditi (“to go, to walk”), which is from Proto-Slavic *xodъ (“going, motion”) (Russian ход) with the verbal suffix *-iti.[1][2][3] The other Slavic languages have Ukrainian ходити (xodýty), Old Church Slavonic ходити (xoditi), Serbo-Croatian ходити (hòditi) and Polish chodzić.[3][4] Shaposhnikov describes it as a secondary verb meaning “to be on the road”, suppletive with идти.[2]

The noun is usually traced to the Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *sed- of сидеть, in the form *sod-: the ⟨x⟩ arose from /s/ after the prefixes *per-, *pri- and *u- and was then generalised, perhaps to keep it apart from the verb “to sit”.[3][5] The sense “go” is compared with Sanskrit compounds of the same root meaning to step, go or reach, and with Ancient Greek ὁδός (hodós, “road”) and ὁδίτης (hodítēs, “wayfarer”).[3] Trubachev takes a single Indo-European root meaning “to move while seated in a cart”, from which both “sit” and “go” developed;[3] Chernykh traces “go” through “sit down by” to “approach” and “reach”.[5] Vasmer rejects Machek's and Budimir's view of the noun as an expressive match of a Gothic word for a street.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

ESSJa and Shaposhnikov cite Old Russian ходити “to move on foot” from the Speech of the Philosopher, which they date 986.[6][2] In the Ostromir Gospel of 1056–1057 it means “to walk, go” (John 12:35).[6]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian had ходити “to go” from the 11th century and its first person хожу.[2][5] The noun ходъ is recorded from the 14th century, as is ходьбище “a place where people walk”, and ходячий in the sense “common, current” from the 15th century.[5] Berynda's lexicon of 1627 has the Church Slavonic first person хожду;[2] ходити къ кому “to visit someone” is in a dictionary of 1731.[2]

The modern verb is the indeterminate partner of идти: it describes movement that is repeated, takes place at different times, or goes in different directions.[7][8] It also means to wear clothes, to move a piece in a game, to run (of clocks, trains and ships), and to look after someone.[8][1] Argot uses ходить по- for speaking a language, from criminal slang ходить по фене “to speak thieves' cant”.[9] In Arkhangelsk dialect была ходить meant “she had already begun to walk”.[10]

Timeline

  • 1056–1057 – ходити “to walk” in John 12:35 in the Ostromir Gospel.[6]
  • 14th century – the nouns ходъ and ходьбище.[5]
  • 15th century – ходячий “common, current”.[5]
  • 1627 – хожду in Berynda's lexicon.[2]
  • 1731 – ходити къ кому “to visit someone” in a dictionary.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be able to walk: Малыш уже ходит “The little one walks already”.[11][12]
  2. To go, walk or travel repeatedly, at different times or in different directions: ходить по саду “to walk about the garden”.[8][7]
  3. To go somewhere regularly, to attend or visit: ходить в бассейн “to go to the swimming pool”.[8][1]
  4. Of trains, ships and buses, to run; of clocks, to go.[8][1]
  5. To wear: ходить в шубе “to go about in a fur coat”.[8][1]
  6. To move a piece or play a card in a game: ходить конём “to move a knight”.[8][1]
  7. ходить за + instrumental: to look after or nurse someone.[8][1]

Word family

  • хождение
  • ходьба
  • ходок
  • ходячий
  • хаживать
  • входить
  • выходить
  • доходить
  • заходить
  • находить
  • переходить
  • приходить
  • проходить
  • уходить
  • сходить

Usage notes

The perfective сходить means “to go somewhere and come back”.[1] The present is хожу́, хо́дишь.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 2, 494
  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. 4, 252–253
  4. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 202
  5. ^ a b c d e f Chernykh, P. Ya. (1993), Istoriko-ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Историко-этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. 2, s.v. ходить
  6. ^ a b c Trubačev, Oleg N.; Žuravlev, Anatolij F.; Varbot, Žanna Ž. (eds.) (1974–2021), Ètimologičeskij slovar' slavjanskix jazykov: praslavjanskij leksičeskij fond, vols. 1–42, Moskva: Nauka, p. 8, 48
  7. ^ 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. ходить
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. ходить
  9. ^ Elistratov, V. S. (2000), Slovar' russkogo argo [Словарь русского арго], Moskva: Russkie slovari, p. s.v. ходить
  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. 51, 32
  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. ходить
  12. ^ Kuznetsov, S. A. (ed.) (1998), Bol'šoj tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Большой толковый словарь русского языка], Sankt-Peterburg: Norint, p. s.v. ходить