ѧзꙑкъ

• ꙗзꙑкъ (jazykŭ)

From Proto-Slavic *ęzykъ (“tongue, language”), from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (“tongue”). Cognate with Old Church Slavonic ѩзꙑкъ. See also Lithuanian liežùvis, Old Prussian insuwis.

• Hyphenation: ѧ‧зꙑ‧къ

ѧзꙑкъ (transliteration needed) m (diminutive ѧзꙑчькъ)

1. a tongue
   • circa 1280, Симоновская псалтирь (Simeon Psalter) 108, verse 2:

     Зане оуста грѣшнагѡ и оуста льстивагѡ ѿверзошасѧ на мѧ: глаголютъ со мною ѧзыкомъ лжи.

     For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

2. a language, speech
   • circa 1420, Ипатьевская летопись (Hypatian Codex), the Primary Chronicle, introduction:

     […] по размѣшеньи же ꙗзꙑкъ . Богъ вѣтромъ великомъ раздруши столпъ […]

     […] po razměšenĭi že jazykŭ . Bogŭ větromŭ velikomŭ razdruši stolpŭ […]

     after the mixing of the tongues God destroyed the tower with the great wind

   русьскъ ѧзꙑкъ ― Rus' language

3. nation, folk, tribe
   • circa 1420, Ипатьевская летопись (Hypatian Codex), the Primary Chronicle, introduction:

     В Афетовѣ же части сѣдить Русь . Чюдь . и вси ꙗзꙑцѣ: Мерѧ . Мурома . Всь . Мордва […]

     In the share of Japheth lies Rus, Chud, and all the tribes: Merya, Muroma, Ves, Mordva

4. (in the plural) gentiles, pagans, heathens
   • 1056-1057, Остромирово евангелие (Ostromir Gospels), Matthew 10:5:

     Сиѩ посъла Иісусъ, заповѣдавъ имъ глаголѩ: на пѫть ꙗзꙑкъ неидѣте, и въ градъ самареискъ не вънидѣте.

     These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not.

5. a prisoner for interrogation, captive that can reveal information on the enemy
   • 1481, Псковская первая летопись (Pskov First Chronicle), s.a. 6849 (1341):

     И они, ѣхавше, ꙗзꙑкъ ꙗша за Холохолномъ и приведоша ко князю Олигерду; и онъ поведа силу велику Нѣмецкиꙗ рати подъ городомъ Изборскомъ […]

     I oni, jěxavše, jazykŭ jaša za Xoloxolnomŭ i privedoša ko knjazju Oligerdu; i onŭ poveda silu veliku Německija rati podŭ gorodomŭ Izborskomŭ […]

     And they, while getting there, found a native by the Holoholn and brought to Algirdas; and he told about a great force of the Teutons near the Izborsk town

6. (law term) witness testimony
   • circa 1280, Пространная версия Русской правды (Vast Edition of the Russian Law) 33:

     […] а то есть не скотъ, нелзѣ рѣчи: не вѣдаю, у кого есми купилъ; по ꙗзꙑку ити до конца […]

     […] a to estĭ ne skotŭ, nelzě rěči: ne vědaju, u kogo esmi kupilŭ; po jazyku iti do konca […]

     for is not cattle, and one cannot say: I don't know who I bought him from; but according to testimony search for

7. (law term) will, testament
   • circa 1280, Пространная версия Русской правды (Vast Edition of the Russian Law) 96:

     […] безъ ꙗзꙑка ли оумреть, то оу кого будеть на дворе бꙑла и кто ю кормилъ, то тому взѧти.

     if dies with no will, then the one who kept her and fed her shall take .

• Old Ruthenian: ѧзы́къ (jazýk), єзы́къ (jezýk)
  • Belarusian: язы́к (jazýk)
  • Carpathian Rusyn: язы́к (jazŷ́k)
  • Ukrainian: язи́к (jazýk)
• Russian: язы́к (jazýk)

• Sreznevsky, Izmail I. (1912) “ꙗзꙑкъ = ѧзꙑкъ”, in Матеріалы для Словаря древне-русскаго языка по письменнымъ памятникамъ [Materials for the Dictionary of the Old East Slavic Language Based on Written Monuments]‎ (in Russian), volumes 3 (Р – Ꙗ и дополненія), Saint Petersburg: Department of Russian Language and Literature of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, column 1647