меч

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mec"

Belarusian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian мечъ (meč), from Proto-Slavic *mečь. Further etymology unclear.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʲet͡ʂ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -et͡ʂ
• Hyphenation: меч

Noun

меч • (mječ) m inan (genitive мяча́, nominative plural мячы́, genitive plural мячо́ў)

1. sword

Declension

Declension of меч (inan hard masc-form accent-b)

	singular	plural
nominative	меч mječ	мячы́ mjačý
genitive	мяча́ mjačá	мячо́ў mjačóŭ
dative	мячу́ mjačú	мяча́м mjačám
accusative	меч mječ	мячы́ mjačý
instrumental	мячо́м mjačóm	мяча́мі mjačámi
locative	мячы́ mjačý	мяча́х mjačáx
count form	—	мячы́1 mjačý1

¹Used with the numbers 2, 3, 4 and higher numbers after 20 ending in 2, 3, and 4.

Further reading

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

Bulgarian

оръжие меч

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečь, of unclear origin. In view of the doublet form *mьčь (whence e.g. Serbo-Croatian ма̏ч), borrowing from a foreign language is the most prevalent theory.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mɛt͡ʃ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

меч • (meč) m (relational adjective ме́чов)

1. sword

   дамо́клев меч ― damóklev meč ― sword of Damocles

Declension

Declension of меч

	singular	plural
indefinite	меч meč	ме́чове méčove
definite (subject form)	ме́чът méčǎt	ме́човете méčovete
definite (object form)	ме́ча méča
count form	—	ме́ча méča
vocative form	ме́чо méčo	ме́чове méčove

Derived terms

• мечо- (mečo-) (in compounds)
  • мечоно́сец (mečonósec, “swordbearer”)
  • мечови́ден (mečovíden, “alike a sword”)

References

• “меч”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “меч”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• Nayden Gerov (1899) “мечь, ме́чеве”, in Рѣчникъ на Блъгарскꙑй язꙑкъ. Съ тлъкувание рѣчи-тꙑ на Блъгарскꙑ и на Русскꙑ. [Dictionary of the Bulgarian language]‎^[1] (in Bulgarian), volume 3, Plovdiv: Дружествена печꙗтница "Съгласие.", page 63
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “мечь”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 775
• “мечь”, in Старобългарски речник [Dictionary of Old Bulgarian] (in Bulgarian), https://histdict.uni-sofia.bg, 2011—2025

Macedonian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečь. Further etymology unclear.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mɛt͡ʃ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

меч • (meč) m

1. sword
2. epee

Declension

Declension of меч

	singular	plural
indefinite	меч (meč)	мечеви (mečevi)
definite unspecified	мечот (mečot)	мечевите (mečevite)
definite proximal	мечов (mečov)	мечевиве (mečevive)
definite distal	мечон (mečon)	мечевине (mečevine)
vocative	мечу (meču)	мечеви (mečevi)
count form	—	меча (meča)

Noun

меч • (meč) m

1. match, game

Russian

Alternative forms

• мечъ (meč) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečь. Further etymology unclear.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʲet͡ɕ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

меч • (meč) m inan (genitive меча́, nominative plural мечи́, genitive plural мече́й, relational adjective ме́чный or мечево́й, diminutive ме́чик)

1. sword (usually with a straight blade)

   дамо́клов меч ― damóklov meč ― sword of Damocles

   • 2017 November 21, “Работница колонии под Новосибирском пыталась зарубить священника мечом”, in ТАСС [TASS]‎^[2]:

     Сле́дственные о́рганы возбуди́ли уголо́вное де́ло о покуше́нии на уби́йство по́сле того́, как рабо́тница исправи́тельной коло́нии №13 в Новосиби́рской о́бласти три́жды уда́рила священнослужи́теля мечо́м, кото́рый ей удало́сь пронести́ на террито́рию коло́нии.

     Slédstvennyje órgany vozbudíli ugolóvnoje délo o pokušénii na ubíjstvo pósle tovó, kak rabótnica ispravítelʹnoj kolónii №13 v Novosibírskoj óblasti tríždy udárila svjaščennoslužítelja mečóm, kotóryj jej udalósʹ pronestí na territóriju kolónii.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

• The Russian term меч (meč) usually refers only to straight-bladed swords. A sabre with a curved blade is regarded as a type of sword in English, but it is not a type of меч (meč) in Russian.

Declension

Declension of меч (inan masc-form sibilant-stem accent-b) 

	singular	plural
nominative	ме́ч méč	мечи́ mečí
genitive	меча́ mečá	мече́й mečéj
dative	мечу́ mečú	меча́м mečám
accusative	ме́ч méč	мечи́ mečí
instrumental	мечо́м mečóm	меча́ми mečámi
prepositional	мече́ mečé	меча́х mečáx

Derived terms

• ме́чник m anim (méčnik)

Compound words:

• меч-ры́ба f anim (meč-rýba)
• мечено́с m anim (mečenós)
• мечено́сец m anim (mečenósec)
• мечехво́ст m anim (mečexvóst)
• ры́ба-меч f anim (rýba-meč)

See also

• ката́на (katána)
• пала́ш (paláš)
• рапи́ра (rapíra)
• са́бля (sáblja)
• шпа́га f (špága)

References

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “меч”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1999) “меч”, 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 528

Further reading

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “меч”, 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.

Anagrams

• чем (čem)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From English match.

Noun

ме̏ч m (Latin spelling mȅč)

1. match (sporting event)

Declension

Declension of меч

	singular	plural
nominative	меч	мечеви
genitive	меча	мечева
dative	мечу	мечевима
accusative	меч	мечеве
vocative	мечу	мечеви
locative	мечу	мечевима
instrumental	мечом	мечевима

Further reading

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

Ukrainian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *mečь. Further etymology unclear.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mɛt͡ʃ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

меч • (meč) m inan (genitive меча́, nominative plural мечі́, genitive plural мечі́в)

1. sword

Declension

Declension of меч
(inan semisoft masc-form accent-b)

	singular	plural
nominative	меч meč	мечі́ mečí
genitive	меча́ mečá	мечі́в mečív
dative	мече́ві, мечу́ mečévi, mečú	меча́м mečám
accusative	меч meč	мечі́ mečí
instrumental	мече́м mečém	меча́ми mečámy
locative	мечу́, мечі́ mečú, mečí	меча́х mečáx
vocative	ме́чу méču	мечі́ mečí

Further reading

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “меч”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• Shyrokov, V. A., editor (2010–2025), “меч”, in Словник української мови: у 20 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 20 vols] (in Ukrainian), volumes 1–15 (а – п'ять), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka; Ukrainian Lingua-Information Fund, →ISBN
• “меч”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horokh – Inflection] (in Ukrainian)