List of Latvian words borrowed from Old East Slavic

Principalities of Kievan Rus', 1054–1132

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 no liquid diphthongs before: *xolpъ : kalps [kal̃ps], *xormъ : kārms
825±25 no nasals ...
... ... before: у/ѫ : uo
after: у/ѫ : ū, у : u
... ... ѧ : ē [ę̃]
988? yat ..? before: ѣ : ē [ę̃]
after: ѣ : ie
1200±50 yers fall 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 [забогъ]: 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]

References

  1. ^ Bjørnflaten, Jan Ivar (2006). "Chronologies of the Slavicization of Northern Russia Mirrored by Slavic Loanwords in Finnic and Baltic". Slavica Helsingiensia. 27: 65–69.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Infantyev, Boris (2005). "Заимствования в латышском из русского". Балто-славянские культурные связи. Riga: Vedi. p. 18—21.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Young, Steven (2009). "Tone in Latvian borrowings from Old Russian". Stressing the past: Papers on Baltic and Slavic accentology. BRILL. p. 177. ISBN 9789042032170. Young.

Further reading