Title of the article:

ON THE ISSUE OF ORIGINAL SEMANTICS OF THE VERB ЦЕЛОВАТЬ AMONG THE SLAVS

Author(s):

Andrey V. Grigorev
Antonina V. Orlova

Information about the author/authors

Andrey V. Grigorev — DSc in Philology, Professor, Moscow State Pedagogical University, Malaya Pirogovskaya 1, 119435 Moscow, Russia. E-mail: greg988@yandex.ru

Antonina V. Orlova — Master`s Student, Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory 1, bld. 51, 119991 Moscow, Russia. E-mail: antonina-orlova@rambler.ru

Section

Philological sciences

Year

2017

Volume

Vol. 45

Pages

Pp. 156-162

Received

March 30, 2017

Date of publication

September 15, 2017

Index UDK

811.161.1'04

Index BBK

81.2-3

Abstract

The paper reveals original semantics of the word целовать among the Slavs. It has been showed that целовать in contemporary Slavic languages the word denotes “to touch with lips to express love, attachment, respect”. At the same time in Old Slavonic language and in the oldest Russian manuscripts it commonly means “to welcome”, in many cases not implying a kiss. The verb целовать derives from the Indo-European root *koi̯l- “whole and unharmed”. Hence, on the one hand, among the Slavs this verb could denote “to wish healing, health to one`s nearest and dearest”. Materials of Slavic languages and folklore sustain this supposition. However, on the other hand, literary contexts of Christian period employ this word for translation of ancient Greek verbs, indicating cohesion between person and his “inner circle”, in the first place, one`s relatives. Thus, the study revealed that the original meaning of the Slavic verb целовать is connected both with the wish of healing and the idea of unity of clan’s members. Similar semantic processes are traced in the material of classical ancient Greek language.

Keywords

Slavic languages and cultures, Slavic folklore, Indo-European language, ancient Greek language, semantics, inner form of a word.

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