сова

Bulgarian

Забулена сова

Същинска сова

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *sova, possibly of onomatopoeic origin distantly related to English howl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsɔvɐ]

Noun

со́ва • (sóva) f (relational adjective со́вов)

1. owl (bird of order Strigiformes)

Declension

Declension of со́ва

	singular	plural
indefinite	со́ва sóva	со́ви sóvi
definite	со́вата sóvata	со́вите sóvite
vocative form	со́во sóvo	со́ви sóvi

Hyponyms

• забу́лена со́ва (zabúlena sóva, “barn owl”) (family Tytonidae)
• съ́щинска со́ва (sǎ́štinska sóva, “true owl”) (family Strigidae)

Related terms

• со́вам (sóvam, “to shove, to shuttle”) (dialectal, possibly cognate)
  • сова́лка (soválka, “shuttle”)

References

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

Pannonian Rusyn

Сова.

Etymology

Inherited from Old Slovak sova, from Proto-Slavic *sova. Cognates include Slovak sova and Carpathian Rusyn сова́ (sová).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsɔva]
• Rhymes: -ɔva
• Hyphenation: со‧ва

Noun

сова (sova) f

1. owl

Declension

Declension of сова

	singular	plural
nominative	сова (sova)	сови (sovi)
genitive	сови (sovi)	совох (sovox)
dative	сови (sovi)	совом (sovom)
accusative	сову (sovu)	сови (sovi)
instrumental	сову (sovu)	совами (sovami)
locative	сови (sovi)	совох (sovox)
vocative	сово (sovo)	сови (sovi)

References

• Medʹeši, H., Fejsa, M., Timko-Djitko, O. (2010) “сова”, in Ramač, Ju., editor, Руско-сербски словнїк [Rusyn-Serbian Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sova.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɐˈva]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

сова́ • (sová) f anim (genitive совы́, nominative plural со́вы, genitive plural сов)

1. owl

   бе́лая сова́ ― bélaja sová ― (Bubo scandiacus, syn. Nyctea scandiaca) snowy owl

   уша́стая сова́ ― ušástaja sová ― (Asio otus) horned owl

   Он сиди́т, как сова́ на забо́ре

   On sidít, kak sová na zabóre

   He doesn’t pay attention to anything (half blind and absent-minded).

2. night person, night owl

Usage notes

In Russian culture, owls are not known for their wisdom; rather, they symbolize daytime blindness and absent-mindedness.

Declension

Declension of сова́ (anim fem-form hard-stem accent-d) 

	singular	plural
nominative	сова́ sová	со́вы sóvy
genitive	совы́ sový	со́в sóv
dative	сове́ sové	со́вам sóvam
accusative	сову́ sovú	со́в sóv
instrumental	сово́й, сово́ю sovój, sovóju	со́вами sóvami
prepositional	сове́ sové	со́вах sóvax

Pre-reform declension of сова́ (anim fem-form hard-stem accent-d) 

	singular	plural
nominative	сова́ sová	со́вы sóvy
genitive	совы́ sový	со́въ sóv
dative	совѣ́ sově́	со́вамъ sóvam
accusative	сову́ sovú	со́въ sóv
instrumental	сово́й, сово́ю sovój, sovóju	со́вами sóvami
prepositional	совѣ́ sově́	со́вахъ sóvax

Descendants

• → Ingrian: sova

See also

• сыч (syč)
• фи́лин (fílin)
• нея́сыть (nejásytʹ)

Further reading

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “сова”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.
• сова in Большой толковый словарь, editor-in-chief С. А. Кузнецов – hosted at gramota.ru

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sova.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sǒːʋa/

Noun

со́ва f (Latin spelling sóva)

1. owl

Declension

Declension of сова

	singular	plural
nominative	сова	сове
genitive	сове	сова
dative	сови	совама
accusative	сову	сове
vocative	сово	сове
locative	сови	совама
instrumental	совом	совама

Further reading

• “сова”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Ukrainian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *sova.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sɔˈʋa]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

сова́ • (sová) f animal (genitive сови́, nominative plural со́ви, genitive plural сов)

1. owl

Declension

Declension of сова́
(animal hard fem-form accent-d)

	singular	plural
nominative	сова́ sová	со́ви sóvy
genitive	сови́ sový	сов sov
dative	сові́ soví	со́вам sóvam
accusative	сову́ sovú	со́ви, сов sóvy, sov
instrumental	сово́ю sovóju	со́вами sóvamy
locative	сові́ soví	со́вах sóvax
vocative	со́во sóvo	со́ви sóvy

References

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “сова”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka