прах

Bulgarian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *porxъ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pers-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [prax]

Noun

прах • (prah) m (relational adjective пра́шен, diminutive пра́хче)

1. dust; powder

   прахове́ за главобо́лие ― prahové za glavobólie ― headache powders (medicine)

   мир на праха́ му ― mir na prahá mu ― may he rest in peace

Declension

Declension of прах

	singular	plural
indefinite	прах prah	прахове́ prahové
definite (subject form)	прахъ́т prahǎ́t	прахове́те prahovéte
definite (object form)	праха́ prahá
count form	—	пра́ха práha

Verb

прах • (prah)

1. first-person singular aorist indicative of пера (pera)

References

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

Russian

Alternative forms

• прахъ (prax) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic прахъ (praxŭ), from Proto-Slavic *porxъ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pers-. Doublet of по́рох (pórox), the inherited East Slavic form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [prax]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ax

Noun

прах • (prax) m inan (genitive пра́ха, nominative plural пра́хи, genitive plural пра́хов)

1. (poetic) dust, earth
   • 1880, Михаил Салтыков-Щедрин, “Племяннушка”, in Господа Головлёвы; English translation from I. P. Foote, transl., The Golovlevs, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986:

     Он не понимал, что открывавшаяся перед его глазами могила уносила последнюю связь его с живым миром, последнее живое существо, с которым он мог делить прах, наполнявший его. И что отныне этот прах, не находя истока, будет накопляться в нём до тех пор, пока окончательно не задушит его.

     On ne ponimal, što otkryvavšajasja pered jevo glazami mogila unosila poslednjuju svjazʹ jevo s živym mirom, posledneje živoje suščestvo, s kotorym on mog delitʹ prax, napolnjavšij jevo. I što otnyne etot prax, ne naxodja istoka, budet nakopljatʹsja v njom do tex por, poka okončatelʹno ne zadušit jevo.

     He did not understand that the grave that had opened now before his eyes was bearing away his last link with the living world, the last living creature with whom he could share the dust that filled his being. And that henceforth this dust, finding no release, would accumulate within him until finally it choked him.

2. (of the dead) ashes, remains

   мир пра́ху его́ ― mir práxu jevó ― may he rest in peace (literally, “peace to his ashes”)

Declension

Declension of прах (inan masc-form velar-stem accent-a) 

	singular	plural
nominative	пра́х práx	пра́хи práxi
genitive	пра́ха práxa	пра́хов práxov
dative	пра́ху práxu	пра́хам práxam
accusative	пра́х práx	пра́хи práxi
instrumental	пра́хом práxom	пра́хами práxami
prepositional	пра́хе práxe	пра́хах práxax

Derived terms

• в пух и прах (v pux i prax)

Related terms

• персть (perstʹ)
• порошок (porošok)

References

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “прах”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress

Anagrams

• храп (xrap)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *porxъ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pers-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /prâːx/

Noun

пра̑х m (Latin spelling prȃh)

1. (uncountable) powder

Declension

Declension of прах

	singular
nominative	прах
genitive	праха
dative	праху
accusative	прах
vocative	праше / праху
locative	праху
instrumental	прахом

Further reading

• “прах”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2024