молния

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Russian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic мълниꙗ (mŭlnija), мълнии (mŭlnii), from Proto-Slavic *mъlnьji[1] or *mьlnьji,[1] from earlier *mъldnьji[1] or *mъldni,[2] from Proto-Balto-Slavic *mild-n-, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dʰ-n- (lightning).

Slavic cognates include Serbo-Croatian муња (munja), Bulgarian мълния (mǎlnija), Polabian måuńa and Kashubian môłniô. Probable cognates outside Slavic include Latvian milna (hammer of Pērkons), Old Prussian mealde, Welsh mellt (lightning), Old Norse Mjǫllnir (hammer of Thor).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

мо́лния (mólnijaf inan (genitive мо́лнии, nominative plural мо́лнии, genitive plural мо́лний)

  1. lightning
    • 1860, Иван Тургенев [Ivan Turgenev], “Глава 7”, in Первая любовь; English translation from Constance Garnett, transl., First Love, 1897:
      Я гляде́л — и не мог оторва́ться; э́ти немы́е мо́лнии, э́ти сде́ржанные блиста́ния, каза́лось, отвеча́ли тем немы́м и та́йным поры́вам, кото́рые вспы́хивали та́кже во мне.
      Ja gljadél — i ne mog otorvátʹsja; éti nemýje mólnii, éti sdéržannyje blistánija, kazálosʹ, otvečáli tem nemým i tájnym porývam, kotóryje vspýxivali tákže vo mne.
      I gazed, and could not turn away; these silent lightning flashes, these gleams seemed in response to the secret silent fires which were aglow within me.
  2. zipper, zip, zip fastener
  3. express telegram
  4. (slang) cigarette lighter
  5. Molniya 1 (the first Soviet communications satellite)
  6. Molnija (Soviet and Russian watch brand)

Declension

Descendants

  • English: Molniya orbit

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary
  2. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008) Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

Further reading

  • Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “молния”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
  • Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “молния”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 3rd edition, volume 1 (а – пантомима), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 539