уста

See also: ұста

Bulgarian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *usta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [oˈsta]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

уста́ • (ustá) f

1. (also figurative) mouth
2. (collective) lips

Declension

Declension of уста́

	singular	plural
indefinite	уста́ ustá	усти́ ustí
definite	уста́та ustáta	усти́те ustíte

References

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

Carpathian Rusyn

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *usta.

Noun

уста • (usta)

1. mouth

Further reading

• Kercha, Ihor (2012) Словник русько-русинськый: у 2 т. [Russian-Rusyn Dictionary: in 2 vols] (overall work in Russian and Carpathian Rusyn), Uzhhorod: PoliPrint

Macedonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈusta]

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *usta.

Noun

уста • (usta) f (plural усти, relational adjective устен, diminutive усте or устичка)

1. mouth

Declension

Declension of уста

	singular	plural
indefinite	уста (usta)	усти (usti)
definite unspecified	устата (ustata)	устите (ustite)
definite proximal	устава (ustava)	устиве (ustive)
definite distal	устана (ustana)	устине (ustine)
vocative	усто (usto)	усти (usti)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish اوسته (Turkish usta), from Persian استاد (ostâd).

Noun

уста • (usta) m

1. (archaic, poetic) master, mason

Old East Slavic

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *usta. Cognates include Old Church Slavonic оуста (usta) and Old Polish usta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uˈstɑ/→/uˈsta/→/uˈsta/

• (ca. 9^th CE) IPA^(key): /uˈstɑ/
• (ca. 11^th CE) IPA^(key): /uˈsta/
• (ca. 13^th CE) IPA^(key): /uˈsta/

• Hyphenation: у‧ста

Noun

уста (usta) n (plural only)

1. mouth
   • 1076, Sviatoslav's izbornik‎^[1], page 2:

     не рече оустꙑ тъчью иꙁгл҃аахъ·

     ne reče usty tŭčĭju izgl:aaxŭ·

     He didn't say: I just pronounced [them] with [my] mouth;

Declension

Declension of уста (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	— —	— —	уста usta
genitive	— —	— —	устъ ustŭ
dative	— —	— —	устомъ ustomŭ
accusative	— —	— —	уста usta
instrumental	— —	— —	устꙑ usty
locative	— —	— —	устѣхъ ustěxŭ
vocative	— —	— —	уста usta

Descendants

• Old Ruthenian: уста (usta)
  • Carpathian Rusyn: уста́ (ustá)
  • Ukrainian: вуста́ (vustá), уста́ (ustá)
• Russian: уста́ (ustá)

References

• Sreznevsky, Izmail I. (1912) “ꙋста”, in Матеріалы для Словаря древне-русскаго языка по письменнымъ памятникамъ [Materials for the Dictionary of the Old East Slavic Language Based on Written Monuments]‎^[2] (in Russian), volume 3 (Р – Ꙗ и дополненія), Saint Petersburg: Department of Russian Language and Literature of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, column 1273

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *usta, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”). Cognates include Sanskrit आस् (ās, “mouth”) and Latin ōs (“mouth”). Compare Polish usta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʊˈsta]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

уста́ • (ustá) n inan pl (genitive уст, plural only)

1. (archaic or poetic) mouth, lips

   Synonyms: (mouth) рот (rot), (lips) гу́бы (gúby)

   • 1873, Николай Лесков [Nikolai Leskov], “Глава тринадцатая”, in Очарованный странник, Санкт-Петербург: Русский мир; English translation from Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, transl., The Enchanted Wanderer, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013:

     Кому́ она́ пода́ст стака́н, тот сейча́с вино́ вы́пьет и на подно́с, ско́лько чу́вствует усе́рдия, де́нег ме́чет, зо́лото и́ли ассигна́ции; а она́ его́ тогда́ в уста́ поцелу́ет и покло́нится.

     Komú oná podást stakán, tot sejčás vinó výpʹjet i na podnós, skólʹko čúvstvujet usérdija, déneg méčet, zóloto íli assignácii; a oná jevó togdá v ustá pocelújet i poklónitsja.

     Whoever she offered a glass to drank the wine at once and flung money on the tray, gold or banknotes, as much as his zeal prompted him to; and she would then kiss him on the lips and bow to him.

Declension

Declension of уста́ (inan pl-only neut-form hard-stem accent-b) 

	plural
nominative	уста́ ustá
genitive	у́ст úst
dative	уста́м ustám
accusative	уста́ ustá
instrumental	уста́ми ustámi
prepositional	уста́х ustáx

Pre-reform declension of уста́ (inan pl-only neut-form hard-stem accent-b) 

	plural
nominative	уста́ ustá
genitive	у́стъ úst
dative	уста́мъ ustám
accusative	уста́ ustá
instrumental	уста́ми ustámi
prepositional	уста́хъ ustáx

Related terms

• у́стный (ústnyj)
• у́стье (ústʹje)
• наизу́сть (naizústʹ)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *usta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǔːsta/
• Hyphenation: у‧ста

Noun

у́ста n pl (Latin spelling ústa)

1. (plural only) mouth

Declension

Declension of уста

	plural
nominative	у́ста
genitive	у́ста̄
dative	устима
accusative	уста
vocative	уста
locative	устима
instrumental	устима

Further reading

• “уста”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Tabasaran

Etymology

From Turkic, ultimately from Persian استاد. Compare Azerbaijani usta.

Noun

уста • (usta)

1. master

Ukrainian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʊˈsta]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

уста́ • (ustá) n inan pl (genitive уст, plural only)

1. Alternative form of вуста́ (vustá)

Declension

Declension of уста́
(inan pl-only hard neut-form accent-b)

	plural
nominative	уста́ ustá
genitive	уст ust
dative	уста́м ustám
accusative	уста́ ustá
instrumental	уста́ми ustámy
locative	уста́х ustáx
vocative	уста́ ustá

References

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “уста”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• “уста”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horokh – Inflection] (in Ukrainian)

Yakut

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

уста • (usta)

1. (geometry, general) length (spatial)

   сыһыы устата ― sıhıı ustata ― the length of the field

   суол устата ― suol ustata ― the length of the road

2. length (temporal), duration

   сыл устата ― sıl ustata ― the length of the year

Derived terms

• устата (ustata, “during, throughout”)