List of Latvian words borrowed from Old East Slavic

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.

Principalities of Kievan Rus', 1054–1132

Dating

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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 : ?, ь00 : _

Comparison of letters

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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

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

кꙑ
ķī
хꙑ
ķī

List of words

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List structure:

  • Old East Slavic: Latvian "meaning"
  • [] contain alternative/other form

Orthodoxy

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • *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

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  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

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