Vltava

English

Etymology

From Czech Vltava, of uncertain origin; possibly cognate to Moldau, the German name for the river, as it is sometimes suggested that both words derive from Old High German * wilt awa, wilt aha (“wild river”), corresponding to Proto-Germanic *wilþijaz (“wild”) + *ahwō (“water”); older texts have spellings such as Fuldaha (in 872), Wultha (1113), Wlitaua (1125). However, compare Ltava. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. Particularly: “Possible substrate origin?”

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vəlˈtɑːvə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Proper noun

Vltava

1. A major river in the Czech Republic, tributary of the Elbe.

Translations

a major river in the Czech Republic

• Belarusian: Влта́ва f (Vltáva)
• Bulgarian: Вълта́ва f (Văltáva)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 伏爾塔瓦河 / 伏尔塔瓦河 (Fú'ěrtǎwǎ Hé)

• Czech: Vltava (cs) f
• Finnish: Vltava
• French: Vltava (fr) f
• Georgian: ვლტავა (vlṭava)
• German: Moldau (de) f, Vltava (de) f
• Hindi: व्ल्तावा (vltāvā)
• Hungarian: Moldva (hu)
• Icelandic: Moldá f
• Italian: Moldava f
• Latvian: Vltava f
• Lithuanian: Vltava f
• Macedonian: В’лтава f (V’ltava), Влта́ва f (Vltáva)
• Polish: Wełtawa (pl) f
• Portuguese: Vltava m
• Russian: Влта́ва (ru) f (Vltáva)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Влтава f

  Latin: Vltava (sh) f

• Slovak: Vltava f
• Slovene: Vltava f
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: Wołtawa f

  Upper Sorbian: Wołtawa f

• Spanish: Moldava (es) m
• Ukrainian: Влта́ва f (Vltáva), Велтава f (Veltava)

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech Vltava. Said to be of Germanic origin, corresponding to Proto-Germanic *wilþijaz (“wild”) + *ahwō (“water”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈvl̩tava]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ava
• Hyphenation: Vl‧ta‧va

Proper noun

Vltava f (relational adjective vltavský)

1. Vltava (a major river in the Czech Republic)

Declension

Declension of Vltava (sg-only hard feminine)

	singular
nominative	Vltava
genitive	Vltavy
dative	Vltavě
accusative	Vltavu
vocative	Vltavo
locative	Vltavě
instrumental	Vltavou

Derived terms

• vltavín m

Further reading

• “Vltava”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “Vltava”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “Vltava”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech Vltava.

Proper noun

Vltava m

1. Vltava (a river in the Czech Republic)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech Vltava.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʋl̩˨˦taʋa/

Proper noun

Vl̀tava f (Cyrillic spelling Вл̀тава)

1. Vltava (a river in the Czech Republic)

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vl̩tava/, [ˈʋl̩taʋa]
• Rhymes: -ava
• Hyphenation: Vl‧ta‧va

Proper noun

Vltava f (genitive singular Vltavy, declension pattern of žena)

1. Vltava (a major river in the Czech Republic)

Declension

Declension of Vltava

	singulare tantum
nominative	Vltava
genitive	Vltavy
dative	Vltave
accusative	Vltavu
locative	Vltave
instrumental	Vltavou

Derived terms

• vltavský

Slovene

Etymology

Borrowed from Czech Vltava.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʋə́ltaʋa/

Proper noun

Vl̏tava f

1. Vltava (a river in the Czech Republic)

Further reading

• “Vltava”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2026