Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/eša

This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Slavic

Etymology

Unclear.

• Per Iljinsky (followed by ESSJa, Vasmer): probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₁esyēt, an optative of the copula *h₁ésti. Cognates include Ancient Greek εἴη (eíē), Latin siēt, Sanskrit स्यात् (syāt).
• Per Sławski: simplification of *ešče (“yet, still”); for semantics compare Old Polish jeszcze (“highlighting the possibility of continuation or repetition of the activity and condition in the future”) (compared to Latin adhuc etiam, utinam, iterum), for šč > š shift compare Slovene išče (dialectal) : iše (dated), Russian ещё (ješčó) : исто́ (istó) (dialectal), Upper Sorbian hišće : hiše, all from *ešče. He rejected Iljinsky's etymology as unlikely.
• Berneker: From grammaticalization of the augment particle *h₁é + demonstrative *ḱyo-.

Adverb

*eša

1. used to express hope, desire or aspiration: hopefully, if only, let, may, had better

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: еша (eša)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: ѥша (ješa)

    Glagolitic: ⰵⱎⰰ (eša)

    • Church Slavonic: еша (eša), ѥша (ješa) (Russian, Serbian)

Further reading

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “еша”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress