муравей

Russian

Муравей (1)

Муравей (2)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *morvъ, from Proto-Indo-European *morwiH-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʊrɐˈvʲej]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

мураве́й • (muravéj) m anim or m inan (genitive муравья́, nominative plural муравьи́, genitive plural муравьёв, relational adjective муравьи́ный, diminutive мура́шка)

1. ant
2. (colloquial, humorous, animate or inanimate) a special motor scooter with three wheels and a rear cargo area made in the USSR between 1959 and 1995 in Tula, officially capitalised - Муравей, some models were given different names: Турист, Тулица, the first model's name was Ту́ла (Túla).
   • 1996, Valentin Kononov, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     И пока́ добря́га Сёмка спал, я три ре́йса на «муравье́» сде́лал.

     I poká dobrjága Sjómka spal, ja tri réjsa na «muravʹjé» sdélal.

     And while the good Syomka slept, I made three trips on my "ant".

   • 1996, Moskva:

     Дак всё ж перело́мано. Он же на «муравье́» с грузовико́м столкну́лся.

     Dak vsjo ž perelómano. On že na «muravʹjé» s gruzovikóm stolknúlsja.

     Why, everything is shattered. You see, his "ant" has collided with a truck.

   • 2005, William Gibson, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     А мо́жет, э́то бы́ли сотру́дники «Си́него муравья́»?

     A móžet, éto býli sotrúdniki «Sínevo muravʹjá»?

     Or maybe they were officers from the "Blue ant"?

Usage notes

• As the name of the motor scooter, the term is often written in lower case as a friendly, jocular term. It's also often used as an animate noun like an "ant" (insect) (insects are animate nouns in Russian when they are used in the direct sense).

Declension

Declension of мураве́й (bian masc-form vowel-stem accent-b reduc) 

	singular	plural
nominative	мураве́й muravéj	муравьи́ muravʹí
genitive	муравья́ muravʹjá	муравьёв muravʹjóv
dative	муравью́ muravʹjú	муравья́м muravʹjám
accusative animate inanimate	муравья́ muravʹjá	муравьёв muravʹjóv
	мураве́й muravéj	муравьи́ muravʹí
instrumental	муравьём muravʹjóm	муравья́ми muravʹjámi
prepositional	муравье́ muravʹjé	муравья́х muravʹjáx

Pre-reform declension of мураве́й (bian masc-form vowel-stem accent-b reduc) 

	singular	plural
nominative	мураве́й muravéj	муравьи́ muravʹí
genitive	муравья́ muravʹjá	муравьёвъ muravʹjóv
dative	муравью́ muravʹjú	муравья́мъ muravʹjám
accusative animate inanimate	муравья́ muravʹjá	муравьёвъ muravʹjóv
	мураве́й muravéj	муравьи́ muravʹí
instrumental	муравьёмъ muravʹjóm	муравья́ми muravʹjámi
prepositional	муравьѣ́ muravʹjě́	муравья́хъ muravʹjáx

Related terms

• мураве́йник (muravéjnik)
• мура́шка (muráška)