овца

Bulgarian

Овца

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *ovьca, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *áwis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ofˈt͡sa]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

овца́ • (ovcá) f (masculine ове́н, relational adjective о́вчи, diminutive овчи́ца)

1. female equivalent of ове́н (ovén): sheep (usually a female one), ewe

Declension

Declension of овца́

	singular	plural
indefinite	овца́ ovcá	овце́, овци́ ovcé, ovcí
definite	овца́та ovcáta	овце́те, овци́те ovcéte, ovcíte
vocative form	о́вце óvce	овце́, овци́ ovcé, ovcí

Derived terms

• овча́р m (ovčár), овча́рка f (ovčárka, “shepherd”)
• овцевъ́д (ovcevǎ́d, “sheep breeder”)

References

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

Macedonian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *ovьca, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *áwis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɔft͡sa]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

овца • (ovca) f (masculine овен, relational adjective овчи, diminutive овчичка)

1. sheep (mammal)
2. an insult for a naive, foolish person

Declension

Declension of овца

	singular	plural
indefinite	овца (ovca)	овци (ovci)
definite unspecified	овцата (ovcata)	овците (ovcite)
definite proximal	овцава (ovcava)	овциве (ovcive)
definite distal	овцана (ovcana)	овцине (ovcine)
vocative	овцо (ovco)	овци (ovci)

Russian

Etymology

From Old East Slavic овьца (ovĭca), from Proto-Slavic *ovьca, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *áwis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis. See also English ewe and ovine, Latin ovis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɐfˈt͡sa]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

овца́ • (ovcá) f anim (genitive овцы́, nominative plural о́вцы, genitive plural ове́ц, relational adjective ове́чий, diminutive ове́чка)

1. sheep (a domestic sheep of either gender)
2. ewe (a female domestic sheep)
3. (derogatory, informal) cow (a stupid woman)

Declension

Declension of овца́ (anim fem-form ц-stem accent-d irreg) 

	singular	plural
nominative	овца́ ovcá	о́вцы óvcy
genitive	овцы́ ovcý	ове́ц△ ovéc△
dative	овце́ ovcé	о́вцам óvcam
accusative	овцу́ ovcú	ове́ц△ ovéc△
instrumental	овцо́й, овцо́ю ovcój, ovcóju	о́вцами óvcami
prepositional	овце́ ovcé	о́вцах óvcax

^△ Irregular.

Pre-reform declension of овца́ (anim fem-form ц-stem accent-d irreg) 

	singular	plural
nominative	овца́ ovcá	о́вцы óvcy
genitive	овцы́ ovcý	ове́цъ△ ovéc△
dative	овцѣ́ ovcě́	о́вцамъ óvcam
accusative	овцу́ ovcú	ове́цъ△ ovéc△
instrumental	овцо́й, овцо́ю ovcój, ovcóju	о́вцами óvcami
prepositional	овцѣ́ ovcě́	о́вцахъ óvcax

^△ Irregular.

Derived terms

Compound words:

• овцебы́к m anim (ovcebýk)
• овцево́д m anim (ovcevód)
• овцево́дство n (ovcevódstvo)

Compounds:

• заблу́дшая овца́ (zablúdšaja ovcá)
• молоде́ц среди́ ове́ц (molodéc sredí ovéc)
• парши́вая овца́ (paršívaja ovcá)

Proverbs

• парши́вая овца́ всё ста́до по́ртит (paršívaja ovcá vsjo stádo pórtit)
• с парши́вой овцы́ хоть ше́рсти клок (s paršívoj ovcý xotʹ šérsti klok)

Related terms

• о́вен m anim (óven)
• ове́чий (ovéčij)
• овча́р m anim (ovčár)
• овча́рка f anim (ovčárka)
• овча́рня f (ovčárnja)
• овчи́на f (ovčína)
• овчи́нник m anim (ovčínnik)

See also

• а́гнец m anim (ágnec)
• бара́н m anim (barán)
• руно́ n (runó)
• ягнёнок m anim (jagnjónok)
• я́рка f anim (járka)

Further reading

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “овца”, 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.
  • See: Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “овен”, 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.

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *ovьca, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *áwis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǒːʋt͡sa/
• Hyphenation: ов‧ца

Noun

о́вца f (Latin spelling óvca)

1. sheep (mammal)

Declension

Declension of овца

	singular	plural
nominative	о́вца	о̑вце
genitive	овце	ова́ца̄
dative	овци	овцама
accusative	овцу	овце
vocative	овцо	овце
locative	овци	овцама
instrumental	овцом	овцама

Related terms

• о́ван

References

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