владеть

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic владѣти (vladěti), from Proto-Slavic *volděti (“to rule”). Doublet of the native Russian володе́ть (volodétʹ).

Cognate to Latin valeō, valēre and German walten.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [vlɐˈdʲetʲ]

• Audio

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Verb

владе́ть • (vladétʹ) impf (perfective завладе́ть) (+ instrumental case)

1. to own, possess, be master of, be in possession of
2. to govern, control
3. to master, manage, wield

   свобо́дно владе́ть тру́дным языко́м ― svobódno vladétʹ trúdnym jazykóm ― to master a difficult language easily

References

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “владеть”, in Etimologičeskij slovarʹ russkovo jazyka [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), translated from German and supplemented by Trubačev O. N., Moscow: Progress
• Černyx, P. Ja. (1999), “владеть”, in Istoriko-etimologičeskij slovarʹ russkovo jazyka [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), volume 1, 3rd reprint edition, Moscow: Russkij jazyk, page 156