мова

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• mowa, mova — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian мо́ва (móva), from Old East Slavic мъ́лва (mŭ́lva). from Proto-Slavic *mъ̀lva. Doublet of малва́ (malvá). Cognate with Russian and Ukrainian мо́ва (móva).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmova]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ova
• Hyphenation: мо‧ва

Noun

мо́ва • (móva) f inan (genitive мо́вы, nominative plural мо́вы, genitive plural моў, relational adjective мо́ўны)

1. language (a set of generally accepted sound and lexical-grammatical means for expressing thoughts and establishing communication between people)

   белару́ская мо́ва ― bjelarúskaja móva ― the Belarusian language

2. language (a set of lexical, grammatical and other means of expressing thoughts and style)

   газетная мова ― hazjetnaja móva ― newspaper language

3. pronunciation (the way of pronouncing words, the manner of speaking)
4. speech (speaking ability)
5. language (something that conveys a certain thought and serves as a means of communication)

   Народы ўсяго свету павінны гаварыць паміж сабой не на мове гармат, а на мове мастацтва.

   Naródy ŭsjahó svjetu pavinny havarycʹ pamiž sabój nje na móvje harmat, a na móvje mastactva.

   The peoples of the world should speak to each other not in the language of weapons, but in the language of art.

6. (colloquial) talk

Declension

Declension of мо́ва (inan hard fem-form accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	мо́ва móva	мо́вы móvy
genitive	мо́вы móvy	моў moŭ
dative	мо́ве móvje	мо́вам móvam
accusative	мо́ву móvu	мо́вы móvy
instrumental	мо́вай, мо́ваю móvaj, móvaju	мо́вамі móvami
locative	мо́ве móvje	мо́вах móvax
count form	—	мо́вы1 móvy1

¹Used with the numbers 2, 3, 4 and higher numbers after 20 ending in 2, 3, and 4.

Derived terms

nouns

• мовазна́ўства n inan (movaznáŭstva)
• размо́ва f inan (razmóva)

References

• “мова”, in Skarnik's Belarusian dictionary (in Belarusian), based on Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984)
• “мова” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org

Old Ruthenian

Alternative forms

• мо́лва (mólva) — archaic

Etymology

From early мо́лва (mólva) with labiovelarization -olv- > -oŭv- > -ov-, inherited from Old East Slavic мъ́лва (mŭ́lva), from Proto-Slavic *mъ̀lva, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *múlˀwāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥wH-eh₂, from *mlewH-.

Noun

мова • (mova) f inan (related adjective мо́вный)

1. language (system of communication using words or symbols)

   Synonym: ѧзы́къ (jazýk)

2. speech, conversation
3. word
4. voice

Related terms

Old Ruthenian terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *mlewH- (0 c, 4 e)

• мовеный (movenyj)
• мовенье n (movenʹje)
• мовити (moviti)
• мовитисѧ (movitisja)
• мовленый (movlenyj)
• мовленье n (movlenʹje)
• мовловство (movlovstvo)
• мовлꙗти (movljati)
• мовно (movno)
• мовность (movnostʹ)
• мовный (movnyj)
• мовца f (movca)
• мовꙗти (movjati)
• мовѧчїй (movjačij)
• мовѧщїй (movjaščij)

Descendants

• Belarusian: мо́ва (móva); малва́ (malvá) (dialectal)
• Ukrainian: мо́ва (móva)
• → Russian: мо́ва (móva) (dialectal)

Further reading

• HSBM, vol. 18, page 102: “мова”
• HSBM, vol. 18, page 125: “молва”
• MSUM^15‒18, vol. 1, page 432: “мова”

Russian

Etymology

From Ukrainian and Belarusian мо́ва (móva). Doublet of молва́ (molvá).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmovə]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

мо́ва • (móva) f inan (genitive мо́вы, nominative plural мо́вы, genitive plural мов)

1. (often derogatory, Ukraine) the Ukrainian language
2. (often derogatory, Belarus) the Belarusian language
3. (dialectal) language

Declension

Declension of мо́ва (inan fem-form hard-stem accent-a) 

	singular	plural
nominative	мо́ва móva	мо́вы móvy
genitive	мо́вы móvy	мо́в móv
dative	мо́ве móve	мо́вам móvam
accusative	мо́ву móvu	мо́вы móvy
instrumental	мо́вой, мо́вою móvoj, móvoju	мо́вами móvami
prepositional	мо́ве móve	мо́вах móvax

Derived terms

• мовню́к (movnjúk) (derogatory, a Ukrainian speaker)
• мо́йва (mójva) (derogatory, the Ukrainian or Belarusian languages)

Ukrainian

Etymology

From Old East Slavic мълва (mŭlva), from Proto-Slavic *mъlva; cognate with Old Church Slavonic млъва (mlŭva, “speech”), Russian молва́ (molvá), Czech mluva.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɔʋɐ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

мо́ва • (móva) f inan (genitive мо́ви, nominative plural мо́ви, genitive plural мов, relational adjective мо́вний)

1. language (system of communication using words or symbols)
   • 1955, Панас Мирний, V, 314:

     Найбі́льше і найдоро́жче добро́ в ко́жного наро́ду — це його́ мо́ва.

     Najbílʹše i najdoróžče dobró v kóžnoho naródu — ce johó móva.

     The greatest and most valuable good in every nation — is its language.

2. (grammar) speech

Declension

Declension of мо́ва
(inan hard fem-form accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	мо́ва móva	мо́ви móvy
genitive	мо́ви móvy	мов mov
dative	мо́ві móvi	мо́вам móvam
accusative	мо́ву móvu	мо́ви móvy
instrumental	мо́вою móvoju	мо́вами móvamy
locative	мо́ві móvi	мо́вах móvax
vocative	мо́во móvo	мо́ви móvy

Derived terms

• розмо́ва (rozmóva)
  • розмо́вити (rozmóvyty)
    • розмовля́ти (rozmovljáty)
• вимо́ва (vymóva)

Adjectives

• англомо́вний (anhlomóvnyj)
• багатомо́вний (bahatomóvnyj)
• двомо́вний (dvomóvnyj)
• іншомо́вний (inšomóvnyj)
• іспаномо́вний (ispanomóvnyj)
• італомо́вний (italomóvnyj)
• німецькомо́вний (nimecʹkomóvnyj)
• одномо́вний (odnomóvnyj)
• польськомо́вний (polʹsʹkomóvnyj)
• португаломо́вний (portuhalomóvnyj)
• російськомо́вний (rosijsʹkomóvnyj)
• румуномо́вний (rumunomóvnyj)
• угорськомо́вний (uhorsʹkomóvnyj)
• україномо́вний (ukrajinomóvnyj)
• українськомо́вний (ukrajinsʹkomóvnyj)
• франкомо́вний (frankomóvnyj)
• чеськомо́вний (česʹkomóvnyj)
• шведськомо́вний (švedsʹkomóvnyj)

Further reading

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “мова”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• Shyrokov, V. A., editor (2010–2025), “мова”, in Словник української мови: у 20 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 20 vols] (in Ukrainian), volumes 1–15 (а – п'ять), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka; Ukrainian Lingua-Information Fund, →ISBN
• “мова”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horokh – Inflection] (in Ukrainian)