Etymology of Latin oblivio, English forgetfulness, Ukrainian zabuttja

[Natalia Pylypiuk]

Colleagues,

To prolong the comparative thread of *forgetfulness*, consider the
following contrasts:

(1) the etymology of *oblivion* from the Latin *oblivio* [ob + ...]:

According to The Online Etymology Dictionary --
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=oblivion

Quote:  "state or fact of forgetting," from L. oblivionem (nom.
oblivio) "forgetfulness," from oblivisci (pp. oblitus) "forget,"
originally "even out, smooth over," from ob "over" + root of levis
"smooth." Oblivious is c.1450, from L. obliviosus "forgetful," from
oblivio. It has lost its original sense, however, and now means
simply "unaware" (1862).


(2) the etymology of *forget* [for +...]
According to The Online Etymology Dictionary --
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=forget&searchmode=none

Quote: O.E. forgytan, from for- "passing by, letting go" (cf.
forbear, forgo) + gietan "to grasp" (see get). A common Gmc.
construction (cf. O.S. fargetan, Du. vergeten, Ger. vergessen "to
forget"). The literal sense would be "to lose (one's) grip on," but
that is not recorded in any Gmc. language.


(3) the etymology of Ukrainian zabuty (perfective), zabuvaty
(imperfective), zabuttja (n. noun) [za+ ...]
According to *Etymolohichnyj slovnyk ukrains'koji movy* vol. 3
(Naukova dumka: Kyijv, 1985):

Quote: ... pokhidne vid byti [in Latin script -np]  <<buty>>;
pervisne znachennja <<probuty za odnijeju spravoju chy bez dila, ne
robljachy inshoji potribnoji spravy>>,  zvidky <<zabuty(sja) pro
jakus' spravu, perestaty pam"jataty>>; tlumachennja pervisnoho
znachennja jak <<buty za chyms'>> (Sadn. -- Aitz. VWB I 90)
pozbavlene hruntu. -- Mel'nychuk Etymologija 1967, 63; Fasmer --
Trubachev II 71.

As the above explanation indicates, Mel'nychuk rejects the
interpretation *being beyond something* as groundless.

Best,
N. Pylypiuk

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