богомолка

See also: богомољка

Bulgarian

Обикновена богомолка (Mantis religiosa)

Etymology

Formed as бог (bog, “god”) +‎ -о- (-o-) +‎ мо́лка (mólka, “prayer, requester”) (non-standard), in reference to the "praying-like" stature of the insect. A near calque of Ancient Greek μᾰ́ντῐς (mắntĭs, “soothsayer”). Cognate with Serbo-Croatian бого̀мо̄љка, Slovene bogomọ̑lka, Russian богомо́л (bogomól). Compare also analogous German Gottesanbeterin (“mantis”, literally “God-worshipper”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [boɡoˈmɔɫkɐ]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian, l-vocalization):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɫkɐ
• Syllabification^(key): бо‧го‧мол‧ка

Noun

богомо́лка • (bogomólka) f

1. praying mantis (dictyopteran insect of order Mantodea)

Declension

Declension of богомо́лка

	singular	plural
indefinite	богомо́лка bogomólka	богомо́лки bogomólki
definite	богомо́лката bogomólkata	богомо́лките bogomólkite
vocative form	богомо́лко bogomólko	богомо́лки bogomólki

Related terms

• богомо́лец (bogomólec, “god-warshipper, pilgrim”)
• молба́ (molbá, “plea, request”)
• моли́тва (molítva, “prayer”)

References

• “богомолка”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “богомолка”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010

Macedonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɔˈɡɔmɔɫka]
• IPA^(key): [bɔɡɔˈmɔɫka] (nonstandard)

Noun

богомолка • (bogomolka) f (plural богомолки)

1. praying mantis

Declension

Declension of богомолка

	singular	plural
indefinite	богомолка (bogomolka)	богомолки (bogomolki)
definite unspecified	богомолката (bogomolkata)	богомолките (bogomolkite)
definite proximal	богомолкава (bogomolkava)	богомолкиве (bogomolkive)
definite distal	богомолкана (bogomolkana)	богомолкине (bogomolkine)
vocative	богомолке (bogomolke)	богомолки (bogomolki)

Russian

Etymology

богомо́л (bogomól) +‎ -ка (-ka)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bəɡɐˈmoɫkə]

Noun

богомо́лка • (bogomólka) f anim (genitive богомо́лки, nominative plural богомо́лки, genitive plural богомо́лок, male equivalent богомо́л)

1. female equivalent of богомо́л (bogomól): female pilgrim
   • 1884, Антон Чехов [Anton Chekhov], Брожение умов, Санкт-Петербург: Осколки; English translation from Constance Garnett, transl., Minds in Ferment, 1921:

     Ми́мо бесе́дующих бесшу́мно прошли́ три ста́рые богомо́лки с кото́мками и в лапотка́х.

     Mímo besédujuščix besšúmno prošlí tri stáryje bogomólki s kotómkami i v lapotkáx.

     Three old pilgrim women, wearing bark shoes and carrying wallets, passed noiselessly by the speakers.

Declension

Declension of богомо́лка (anim fem-form velar-stem accent-a reduc) 

	singular	plural
nominative	богомо́лка bogomólka	богомо́лки bogomólki
genitive	богомо́лки bogomólki	богомо́лок bogomólok
dative	богомо́лке bogomólke	богомо́лкам bogomólkam
accusative	богомо́лку bogomólku	богомо́лок bogomólok
instrumental	богомо́лкой, богомо́лкою bogomólkoj, bogomólkoju	богомо́лками bogomólkami
prepositional	богомо́лке bogomólke	богомо́лках bogomólkax