како стоꙗ

Old Novgorodian

Upcoming FWOTD – 25 February 2026

Alternative forms

Etymology

By surface analysis, како (kako) +‎ стоꙗти (stojati), literally “as you stand”, i.e. “without moving from your place”, “without performing any intermediate actions” ‒ hence the meaning “immediately”. First attested in c. 1360–1380. Cognates include Belarusian як стой (jak stoj), Ukrainian як стiй (jak stij, “very quickly, immediately”).

Perhaps this is a calque of Medieval Latin stante pede (literally “with one's foot standing still”), a medieval juridical term meaning “on the spot, without having left the court”. Compare with Swedish på stående fot, Danish på stående fod, Middle Low German stândes votes, German stehenden Fußes, Dutch op staande voet.

Pronunciation

  • (c. 9th CE) IPA(key): /kɑkɔ ˈstɔjɑ/
  • (c. 11th‒15th CE) IPA(key): /kakɔ ˈstɔja/
  • Hyphenation: ка‧ко сто‧ꙗ

Phrase

како стоꙗ • (kako stoja)[1]

  1. immediately, right away
    Synonyms: око стоꙗ (oko stoja), съ проста (sŭ prosta)
    • c. 1360 – 1380, Birch bark letter no. 272[1], Novgorod (Nerevsky excavation, Estate E):
      ѿ савлиѧ ко максиму како стоѧ пришли конь цему мѧ єси погубиль · […]
      otŭ savliję ko maksimu kako stoję prišli konĭ cʹjemu mę jesi pogubilĭ · […]
      From Savlij to Maksim. Send a horse as soon as possible. Why have you ruined me? […]
    • c. 1380 – 1400, Birch bark letter no. 942[2], Novgorod (Nikitinsky excavation, Estate V):
      […] [ꙗ къ] жени своѥи ульꙗни поидь симь какъ стоꙗ
      […] [ja kŭ] ženi svojei ulĭjani poidĭ simĭ kakŭ stoja
      […] I am to my wife Ulyana. Come here immediately.

References

  1. ^ DND2, page 587‒588: “№ 272”

Further reading

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