жэмчуг

Belarusian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian жемчугъ (žemčuh), же́нчугъ (žénčuh), же́мчюгъ (žémčjuh), же́нчюгъ (žénčjuh) (whence Ukrainian же́мчуг (žémčuh)), from Old East Slavic жьмьчюгъ (žĭmĭčjugŭ), жьньчюгъ (žĭnĭčjugŭ) (whence Lithuanian žemčiūgas, Russian же́мчуг (žémčug)), from Bulgar *ǯinǯü (whence also Chuvash ӗнчӗ (ĕnč̬ĕ) and Hungarian gyöngy), from Proto-Common Turkic *yinǯü (whence also Old Turkic 𐰖𐰅𐰨𐰇 (yénčü), Kazakh інжу (ınju), Turkish inci etc.), ultimately from Middle Chinese 珍珠 (trin tsyu), 真珠 (tsyin tsyu, true pearls), whence also Mandarin 珍珠 (zhēnzhū).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈʐɛmt͡ʂux]

Noun

жэ́мчуг • (žémčuhm inan (genitive жэ́мчугу, nominative plural жэ́мчугі, genitive plural жэ́мчугаў, relational adjective жамчу́жны)

  1. pearl (material or as a collective)
    Synonym: перл (pjerl)
    ні́тка жэ́мчугуnítka žémčuhupearl thread

Declension

Derived terms

  • жамчу́жніца (žamčúžnica, mother-of-pearl)
  • жамчу́жына (žamčúžyna, individual pearl)

References

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