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болван. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
болван, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
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Russian
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bъlvanъ, *balъvanъ (“idol”). Cognate with Polish bałwan (“snowman”), Old Church Slavonic балванъ (balvanŭ, “statue”) and Serbo-Croatian ба̀лван (“beam, log”). Related to Latvian bulvāns (“decoy”). Possibly borrowed from a Turkic language, compare Proto-Turkic *balbal (“gravestone”).
Pronunciation
Noun
болва́н • (bolván) m anim (genitive болва́на, nominative plural болва́ны, genitive plural болва́нов, diminutive болва́нчик)
- (derogatory) blockhead, dimwit (stupid person)
- Synonyms: дура́к (durák), ду́ра (dúra), дурачо́к m (duračók, diminutive), ду́рочка f (dúročka, diminutive), ду́рень (dúrenʹ), дурачи́на (duračína); глупе́ц (glupéc), глупы́ш (glupýš), глу́пенький (glúpenʹkij); балбе́с (balbés); идио́т (idiót); тупи́ца (tupíca); крети́н (kretín); те́лепень (télepenʹ); дурале́й (duraléj); обо́лтус (obóltus); о́лух (ólux); осёл (osjól); простофи́ля (prostofílja); остоло́п (ostolóp); дуби́на (dubína), пень (penʹ), бревно́ (brevnó); истука́н (istukán)
- Э́тот болва́н так и не по́нял что́ от него́ тре́бовалось. ― Étot bolván tak i ne pónjal štó ot nevó trébovalosʹ. ― This idiot couldn't understand what was required from him.
1872, Фёдор Достоевский, “Часть 3. Глава 5. Путешественница”, in Бесы; English translation from Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, transl., Demons, 1994:— Сделайте одолжение, подержите сак, пока я разделаюсь с этим болваном, — встретила его внизу госпожа Марья Шатова и сунула ему в руки довольно легонький, дешевый ручной сак из парусины, с бронзовыми гвоздиками, дрезденской работы.- — Sdelajte odolženije, poderžite sak, poka ja razdelajusʹ s etim bolvanom, — vstretila jevo vnizu gospoža Marʹja Šatova i sunula jemu v ruki dovolʹno legonʹkij, deševyj ručnoj sak iz parusiny, s bronzovymi gvozdikami, drezdenskoj raboty.
- "Kindly hold the bag till I finish with this blockhead," Mrs. Marya Shatov met him below and shoved into his hands a rather light, cheap canvas handbag with brass studs, of Dresden manufacture.
- dummy (in card games)
- block (for hats or wigs)
- (historical, paganism) an idol
Declension
Descendants
Further reading
- болван in Большой толковый словарь, editor-in-chief С. А. Кузнецов – hosted at gramota.ru