Old Church Slavonic

Alternative forms

• (Glagolitic): ⰲⱃⰰⰳⱏ ‎(vragŭ)

Noun

врагъ • ‎(vragŭ) m

1. an enemy, foe
   • XI century, Codex Assemanius, Luke 19:43:

     ѣко придѫтъ дьнье на тѧ · и обложѧтъ врази твои · острогъ о тебѣ · и обидѫтъ тѧ · и окрочѧтъ тѧ в сѫду ·‎

     ěko pridǫtŭ dĭnĭe na tę · i obložętŭ vrazi tvoi · ostrogŭ o tebě · i obidǫtŭ tę · i okročętŭ tę v sǫdu ·

     For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

2. (figuratively) the devil
   • XI century, Codex Suprasliensis, In ramos palmarum Homilia (John Chrysostom's Homily on Palm Sunday):

     […] ѿ съврьшивъшааго из устъ младеништемъ и съсѫштиимъ хвалѫ · раздроушити врага и мьстьника […] ‎

     […] otŭ sŭvrĭšivŭšaago iz ustŭ mladeništemŭ i sŭsǫštiimŭ xvalǫ · razdrušiti vraga i mĭstĭnika […]

     […] from the one who made praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, that he mightest destroy the enemy and the avenger […]

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

References

• Cejtlin, R.M.; Večerka, R.; Blagova, E., editors (1994), “врагъ”, in Staroslavjanskij slovarʹ (po rukopisjam X—XI vekov) [Old Church Slavonic Dictionary (Based on 10–11th Century Manuscripts)], Moscow: Russkij jazyk, page 122

Old East Slavic

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *vorgъ ‎(“enemy, foe”) through Old Church Slavonic врагъ ‎(vragŭ). Compare with Old East Slavic ворогъ ‎(vorogŭ), the native form that existed parallelly with adopted form. See also Lithuanian var̃gas ‎(“hardship, misery”), Latvian vā̀rgs ‎(“misery”).

Noun

врагъ ‎(vragŭ) m

1. an enemy, foe
   • XI century, Память и Похвала князю русскому Владимиру (Memorial and Panegyric to Prince Vladimir of Rus):

     […] благодать Божия просвѣщаше сердце его и рука Господня помогаше ему, и побѣжаше всꙗ врагы своꙗ, и боꙗхутсѧ его вси.‎

     […] blagodatĭ Božija prosvěščaše serdce ego i ruka Gospodnja pomogaše emu, i poběžaše vsja vragy svoja, i bojaxutsę ego vsi.

     […] God's grace illuminated his heart and God's hand helped him, and [he] defeated all his foes, and was feared among all.

2. (figuratively) the devil
   • 1377, Лаврентьевская летопись (Laurentian Codex), the Primary Chronicle, s.a. 6545 (1037):

     Радовашесѧ Ꙗрославъ вида множьство цьрквии . и люди хрестꙑанꙑ зѣло . а врагъ сѣтовашетьсѧ побѣжаемъ . новыми людьми хрестꙑанскꙑми.‎

     Radovašesę Jaroslavŭ vida množĭstvo cĭrkvii . i ljudi xrestyany zělo . a vragŭ sětovašetĭsę poběžaemŭ . novymi ljudĭmi xrestyanskymi.

     And Yaroslav was glad, seeing many churches and many Christians [among his] people, while the devil wailed, being defeated by the newly-baptized.

Declension

Related terms

Derived terms

Descendants

References

• Sreznevskij, I. I. (1893), “врагъ”, in Materialy dlja slovarja drevne-russkago jazyka po pisʹmennym pamjatnikam [Materials for the Dictionary of the Old Russian Language According to Written Monuments] (in Russian), volume 1, Saint Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, page 310