език

Bulgarian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *ęzykъ, from Early Proto-Slavic *inzū́kus, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *inźūˀ-kas (perhaps directly linked to the non-standard variant е́нзик), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *inźūˀs, from earlier *dinźūˀs, from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛˈzik]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ik
• Syllabification^(key): е‧зик
• Hyphenation^(key): език

Noun

ези́к • (ezík) m (relational adjective ези́чен or ези́ков, diminutive ези́че)

1. tongue (the flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is used to move food around, for tasting and that is moved into various positions to modify the flow of air from the lungs in order to produce different sounds in speech)

   Ле́карят гле́даше ези́ка му.

   Lékarjat glédaše ezíka mu.

   The doctor was looking at his tongue.

   изпле́зен ези́к

   izplézen ezík

   stuck-out tongue

   си́ни ези́ци

   síni ezíci

   blue tongues (of animals)

2. (countable) tongue (such an organ, as taken from animals and used for food)

   гове́жди ези́к

   govéždi ezík

   beef tongue

   пу́шен ези́к

   púšen ezík

   smoked tongue

   ези́к соте́

   ezík soté

   sautéed tongue

3. (figuratively) tongue, strip (object with an elongated shape resembling a tongue)

   о́гнени ези́ци

   ógneni ezíci

   tongues of fire

   ези́ци на мъгла́та

   ezíci na mǎgláta

   tongues of fog

   зеле́н ези́к от трева́

   zelén ezík ot trevá

   green strip of grass

4. tongue (flap under the laces of a shoe)

   Скъ́са се ези́кът на обу́вката ми.

   Skǎ́sa se ezíkǎt na obúvkata mi.

   The tongue of my shoe tore.

5. (geography) tongue, snout (of a glacier)
6. clapper, tongue (metal part inside a bell that makes sound)

   желе́зен ези́к на камба́на

   želézen ezík na kambána

   iron clapper of a bell

7. (mechanics) catch, pawl, reed, tongue (moveable metal strip or pin in mechanisms, locks, or traps)

   ези́к на капа́н

   ezík na kapán

   catch of a trap

8. (dialectal) plowshare point (pointed part of a plow)
9. (linguistics) language (system of communication)

   Около тебе звучи български език.

   Okolo tebe zvuči bǎlgarski ezik.

   The Bulgarian language sounds around you.

   Този момък знае всичките славянски езици.

   Tozi momǎk znae vsičkite slavjanski ezici.

   This lad knows all the Slavic languages.

10. language, style, diction, jargon (manner of expression or specific vocabulary)

    Synonym: стил (stil)

    поетически език

    poetičeski ezik

    poetic language

    разговорен език

    razgovoren ezik

    colloquial language

    Той говореше на прост, достъпен език.

    Toj govoreše na prost, dostǎpen ezik.

    He spoke in simple, accessible language.

11. (uncountable) speech, tongue (ability to speak)

    Synonyms: говор (govor), реч (reč)

    Той си възвърна изгубения ум и език.

    Toj si vǎzvǎrna izgubenija um i ezik.

    He regained his lost mind and tongue (speech).

12. code, language (sign system for transmitting information)

    машинен език

    mašinen ezik

    machine language

    Езикът на фактите е по-ясен от думите.

    Ezikǎt na faktite e po-jasen ot dumite.

    The language of facts is clearer than words.

    език на животните

    ezik na životnite

    language of animals

13. (military, slang) tongue, prisoner (captured for interrogation)

    Synonym: пле́нник (plénnik)

    Уловихме език.

    Ulovihme ezik.

    We caught a tongue (prisoner).

14. (archaic, literary) people, nation, tribe

    Synonyms: наро́д (naród), пле́ме (pléme)

    Възрадвайте се, вси езици!

    Vǎzradvajte se, vsi ezici!

    Rejoice, all peoples!

Usage notes

• The derived adjective ези́чен (ezíčen) refers specifically to "tongue" while ези́ков (ezíkov) refers specifically to "language".

Declension

Declension of ези́к

	singular	plural
indefinite	ези́к ezík	ези́ци ezíci
definite (subject form)	ези́кът ezíkǎt	ези́ците ezícite
definite (object form)	ези́ка ezíka
count form	—	ези́ка ezíka

Further reading

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