Re: [tied] Slavic "lada"

From: Âŕäčě Ďîíŕđ˙äîâ
Message: 34137
Date: 2004-09-13

Well, I have not been here for a long, but now I'm back... :-)
 
 
petusek <petusek@...> wrote:

> Could anybody help me with OCz lada "virgin, girl", S-Cr lada "wife", R/Ukr lada "wife, mistress", please? Any cognates? Any etymological attempts?
 
> If it is a loan, does it have something to do with Gr. Léda, Letó, Lat. La:to:na??? Thanks for any help or advice.
 

In (archaic) Russian <lada> is more frequently not "wife, mistress", but "beloved, dear" (and therefore one may use it as denoting not only a woman, but a male too). This seems to be a  primary meaning; "virgin, wife" etc. must be secondary. I think, here we have an obvious link with R. <lad> "a proper order", <ladnyj> "fine, good", <ladno> "well". Although <lad> have not got any good etymology yet (Goth. le:tan "to let"?), it does not seem to be a loan...
 
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Vadim Ponaryadov