List of Latvian words borrowed from Old East Slavic explained
This is a list of Latvian words borrowed from Old East Slavic (or its dialects where particularly ts–ch are merged) during 8th–13th centuries.
Dating
| + Sound changes in OES[1] | Date | Change | Examples |
|---|
| 800±50 | | before: *xolpъ : kalps [kal̃ps], *xormъ : kārms |
| 825±25 | | ... |
| ... | ... | before: у/ѫ : uo
after: у/ѫ : ū, у : u |
| ... | ... | ѧ : ē [ę̃] |
| 988? | yat ..? | before: ѣ : ē [ę̃]
after: ѣ : ie |
| 1200±50 | | before: ь : i, ъ : u
after: ь1 : ?, ъ1 : ?, ь0/ъ0 : _ | |
Comparison of letters
| + Vowels | Old East Slavic
Latvian | ъ—ь
u—i | о—а
a—a/ā | у
o/ū | ѫ—ѧ
o—ē | е—ѣ
e—ē/iẽ | и
ī/i/ìe | ꙑ
ui | |
| + Consonants | Old East Slavic
Latvian | р—л
r—l | н—м—в
n—m—v | | б—п
b—p | д—т
d—t | з—с
z—s | ж—ц
ž—c | г—к—х
g—k—k | |
| + Other | Old East Slavic
Latvian | лꙗ
ļa | ꙗ
jã | кꙑ
ķī | хꙑ
ķī | |
List of words
List structure:
- Old East Slavic: Latvian "meaning"
- [] contain alternative/other form
Orthodoxy
- крьстъ: krusts [krists] "cross".[2] Possibly 'u' from Latin crux "cross".
- божьница: baznīca [baznîca] "church".[3] [2]
- говѣти: gavēt [gavêt] "to fast"[2]
- грамота: grāmata [grãmata] "book"[3] [2]
- грѣхъ: grēks [grę̀ks] "sin"[3] [2]
- хоругꙑ: karogs [karuõgs] "flag, banner"[3] [2]
- недѣлꙗ: nedēļa [nedẽļa] "week"[3] [2]
- *свѧтъкъ [свꙗтокъ]: svētki [svę̀tki] "holiday, celebration"[3] [2]
- свѧтъ: svēts [svę̀ts] "holy, sacred"[3] [2]
- звонъ: zvans "bell"
- поганъ: pagãns "pagan, heathen". Alternatively from Latin.[3]
Society or government
- рубежь: robeža [rùobeža] "border, frontier"[3] [2]
- сѫдъ: sods [sùods] "penalty, punishment".[3] [2]
- тълкъ: tulks [tũlks, tul̃ks] "interpreter, translator"[3] [2]
- погостъ: pagasts "parish?"[2]
- право: prāva [prāvas] "lawsuit?"[2]
- пълкъ: pulks [pùlks, pul̂ks] "regiment"[3] [2]
- страдати: strādāt [stràdât] "to work"[3] [2]
- человѣкъ [*чьловѣкъ]: cilvēks [cìlvę̃ks] "human, person"[3] [2]
- мѣсто: miẽsts "village"[3]
- боꙗринъ: bajãrs "boyar"[3]
- сѫди: sùoģis "judge"[3]
Trading
- търгъ: tirgus [tìrgus] "market".[2] Unless related ('ъ' > 'u' is expected).
- безмѣнъ: bezmēns [bęzmę̄ns, vęzmę̄ns] "steelyard"[2]
- цѣна: cena "price"[2]
- мꙑто: muita [muĩta] "customs (duty)"[3] [2]
- скупъ: skops [skùops] "stingy, miserly"[3] [2]
Household
- кожухъ: kažoks [kažuõks] "fur coat"[3] [2]
- мѫка: mokas [muõkas] "torment, agony"[3] [2]
- сума: soma [suoma] "bag"[2]
- истъба: istaba [istuba, ustaba, ustuba] "room (building)"[2]
- дуда: dūdas [dũda] "bagpipe"
- котьлъ: katls "boiler"[2]
- кꙑсель: ķīselis "kissel"[2]
- мѧтьлъ: mētelis [mètelis] "coat (garment)"[2]
- сапогъ [<span title="also запогъ, сабогъ">забогъ</span>]: zābaks (zàbaks) "boot (footwear)".[3] [2]
- жьзлъ: zizlis [zizls] "wand, baton"[2]
- ножь: nazis "knife"
- стькло: stikls "glass"[2]
Other
- *Кривъ: krìevs "Russian (person)".[3] Compare Russian кривичи "Krivichs".
- пустъ: posts [puõsts][3] [2]
- богатъ: bagāts [bagâts] "rich, wealthy"[3] [2]
- думати: domāt [duõmât] "to think"[3]
- дума: doma [duõma] "thought, idea, opinion"[3] [2]
- умъ: oma [uôma] "mood (mind)". Or at least partly inherited.
- сулити: solīt [sùolît] "to promise"[3] [2]
- хꙑтръ: neķītrs "obscene, dirty, lewd"[3]
- поваръ: pavārs [pavãrs] "cook"
- капуста: kāposti [kàpuõsts] "cabbage"[3] [2]
- сѣра: sērs [sę̃rs] "sulfur"
- бѣда: bēda [bę̀da] "sorrow, grief"[3]
Further reading
Notes and References
- Jan Ivar. Bjørnflaten. 2006 . Chronologies of the Slavicization of Northern Russia Mirrored by Slavic Loanwords in Finnic and Baltic . Slavica Helsingiensia. 27. 65–69.
- Book: Infantyev, Boris. 2005. 18—21. Заимствования в латышском из русского. Балто-славянские культурные связи. Riga. Vedi.
- Book: Young. Steven. Young. Stressing the past: Papers on Baltic and Slavic accentology. Tone in Latvian borrowings from Old Russian. https://books.google.com/books?id=v_h1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA177. 177. 2009. BRILL. 9789042032170 .
