вꙑтоле

Old Novgorodian

Etymology

Unknown.^[1] First attested in c. 1220‒1240.

Per Helimski (1986), borrowed from Finnic languages, cf. Karelian vedelys (“slacker”), Veps vede̮luz (“slacker; tramp, vagabond”), Votic vetelyz (“loitering”), Ingrian veettelys (“slacker”), Finnish vetelys (“slacker, slob”), dialectal vetla (“loitering”), vetlu (“sluggish, lazy”), ultimately from Proto-Finnic *vetälus ~ *vetälä (“tramp, vagabond; loitering, slacker”), from *vetä- (“to pull”), from Proto-Finno-Ugric *wetä- (“to lead, pull”), which was semantically and phonetically influenced by the similar sounding Proto-Finnic *vetelä (“watery; squishy”), from *veci, from Proto-Finno-Ugric *wete (“water”). Compare Livvi vedel (“watery, wet, liquid”), Votic vetel (“liquid”) and Estonian vedel (“liquid, watery; sluggish, weak”).^[2]^[3]
Per Zaliznyak (1995), presumably (based mainly on the semantic context of Birchbark letter no. 600): before us is an unknown name of some commercial river animal. Compare the words Old East Slavic вꙑдра (vydra, “otter”), first attested in 1284, dialectal Old Novgorodian воудра (vudra, “otter”), first attested in с. 1200‒1220 or Middle Russian выхухоль (vyxuxolʹ, “desman”), attested late, only since the 17th century.^[4]

Pronunciation

Hyphenation: вꙑ‧то‧ле

Noun

вꙑтоле • (vytole) m

The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
- c. 1220‒1240, Kovalev, Roman K., transl., Берестяная грамота № 600 [Birchbark letter no. 600]‎^[3], Novgorod:
  [по](кл)[о]но ѿ … … се послали два моужа хотꙑнѧне к ---- про ту тѧжю · про реку · про что то послале · н^егане · ѿ кнѧꙁѧ и ѿ тебе · симо же ти соулити много · хотꙑнѧномо · тѧжѧ велика · оурекꙑваютсѧ бебрꙑ · молвѧте вꙑтоло · иꙁловили · -------- [противоу] (мо)лвѧ · а вꙑ[то]ле того · иꙁловили · ѿсоу[л]ивати …
  [po](kl)[o]no otŭ … … se poslali dva muža xotynęne k ---- pro tu tęžju · pro reku · pro ćto to poslale · n^egane · otŭ knęzę i otŭ tebe · simo že ti suliti mnogo · xotynęnomo · tęžę velika · urekyvajutsę bebry · molvęte vytolo · izlovili · -------- [protivu] (mo)lvę · a vy[to]le togo · izlovili · otŭsu[l]ivati …
  Greetings from … [to] … Now, Khotyniani (i.e., residents of the Khotynianka river region (?)) sent [you (?)] two men in connection to that lawsuit regarding the river for which Negan sent a man in the name of the prince and from you. These [Khotyniani] will promise you much: for Khotyniani this case is important. [They] promise [to pay in] beavers. [They] say that vytol (vagrant or a river animal (?)) [was] caught; … [they] say to the contrary. But vytol – was [indeed] caught. Promise …
1. tramp, vagabond, slacker, loitering
2. commercial river animal used for fur production (e.g. otter, desman, beaver, water vole, etc.)

References

^ Anikin, A. E. (2015) “вытолъ”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 9 (врандовать – галоп), Moscow: Russian Language Institute, →ISBN, page 203
^ Helimski, Eugene (2000) “Вытол”, in Компаративистика, уралистика [Comparative Linguistics, Uralic Studies]‎^[1] (in Russian), Moscow: LRC Publishing House, →ISBN, page 339
^ Yanin, V. L., Zaliznyak, A. A., editor (1986), “Вытол”, in Новгородские грамоты на бересте (1977–1983 гг.) [Novgorod letters on birchbark: 1977–1983] (in Russian), volume 8, Moscow: Nauka, page 253
^ Zaliznyak, Andrey (2004) “№ 600”, in Древненовгородский диалект [Old Novgorod dialect]‎^[2] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Moscow: Languages of Slavic Cultures, →ISBN, page 471

Old Novgorodian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

References

Further reading