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

Comparison of letters

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

^ Bjørnflaten, Jan Ivar (2006). "Chronologies of the Slavicization of Northern Russia Mirrored by Slavic Loanwords in Finnic and Baltic". Slavica Helsingiensia. 27: 65–69.
^ 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.
^ 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

Vasmer, Max (1964–1973). Этимологический словарь русского языка. Vol. 1–4. Moscow: Progress.

Sreznevsky, Izmail (1893). Материалы для словаря древнерусского языка по письменным памятникам. Vol. 1. St. Petersburg.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Sreznevsky, Izmail (1902). Материалы для словаря древнерусского языка по письменным памятникам. Vol. 2. St. Petersburg.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Sreznevsky, Izmail (1912). Материалы для словаря древнерусского языка по письменным памятникам. Vol. 3. St. Petersburg.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)