коумиръ

Old Church Slavonic

коумиръ

Etymology

Etymology is uncertain. Perhaps a Turkic or Semitic borrowing: compare Classical Syriac ܟܘܡܪܐ (kūmrāʾ, “priest”) and Old Armenian քուրմ (kʻurm, “priest”). Has also been connected to Ossetian гуымиры (g°ymiry, “giant”) and Georgian გმირი (gmiri, “hero”) and together with them derived from the name of Cimmerians.

Noun

коумиръ • (kumirŭ) m

1. (paganism) idol, graven image
   • from the Homily against the Bogumils, 242-243:

     коумири бо камѣни и дрѣвѣни сѫще вещиѭ не видѧтъ ни слꙑшѧтъ

     kumiri bo kaměni i drěvěni sǫšte veštijǫ ne vidętŭ ni slyšętŭ

     for idols are made of wood and stone, and of their nature neither hear nor see

   • from the Homily against the Bogumils, 254-255:

     еретици же не кланꙗѭтъ сѧ иконамъ нъ коумирꙑ наричѫтъ ѩ

     eretici že ne klanjajǫtŭ sę ikonamŭ nŭ kumiry naričǫtŭ ję

     but the heretics do not venerate icons, but call them idols.

Derived terms

• коумировъ (kumirovŭ)
• коумиролюбица (kumiroljubica)
• коумирослоужение (kumirosluženie)
• коумирьница (kumirĭnica)
• коумирьскъ (kumirĭskŭ)

Related terms

• капище (kapište)

Descendants

• Russian: кумир (kumir)
• Serbo-Croatian: кумир