петух

Russian

Петух (1)

Alternative forms

пѣту́хъ (pětúx) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *pětuxъ. By surface analysis, петь (petʹ) +‎ -ух (-ux), said to have been influenced by Пе́тя (Pétja), diminutive of Пётр (Pjotr). Related to петь (petʹ, “to sing”). Compare пе́вень (pévenʹ), Ukrainian пі́вень (pívenʹ), Belarusian пе́вень (pjévjenʹ), Bulgarian пете́л (petél), Macedonian петел (petel), Serbo-Croatian pijétao, pijévac, Slovene petêlin, pẹ́təł. Compare also Polish piać (“to crow”), which is cognate with петь (petʹ). Likewise Latin canere means both “to sing” and “to crow”. Also compare with Proto-Germanic *hanô (“rooster, cock”), Proto-Germanic *hanjō (“hen”) (whence English hen) ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n- (“to sing”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [pʲɪˈtux]
Audio: (file)

Noun

пету́х • (petúx) m anim (genitive петуха́, nominative plural петухи́, genitive plural петухо́в, relational adjective петуши́ный or пету́ший or петухо́вый, diminutive петушо́к)

rooster, cock
Synonyms: (regional) ко́чет (kóčet), (regional) пе́вень (pévenʹ)

Пету́х кукаре́кает: кукареку́! ― Petúx kukarékajet: kukarekú! ― The rooster is crowing: cock-a-doodle-doo!

Пету́х то́пчет ку́рицу. ― Petúx tópčet kúricu. ― The rooster is mounting a hen.
(very rare, usually about children, easily confused with slang meaning) impulsive, aggressive person or group
- 2017, Владислав Бахревский (Vladislav Bakhrevsky), Люба Украина. Долгий путь к себе, LitRes, →ISBN:
  Казаки́ задохну́лись от сме́ха: — Ну, пету́х и пету́х! — Ва́ши ми́лости! — вскрича́л в отча́янье гоне́ц. — Казаки́! Я при́слан сообщи́ть вам, что его́ вели́чество коро́ль Владисла́в IV у́мер. Хмельни́цкий а́же глаза́ прикры́л ве́ками: сколь ...
  Kazakí zadoxnúlisʹ ot sméxa: — Nu, petúx i petúx! — Váši mílosti! — vskričál v otčájanʹje gonéc. — Kazakí! Ja príslan soobščítʹ vam, što jevó velíčestvo korólʹ Vladisláv IV úmer. Xmelʹníckij áže glazá prikrýl vékami: skolʹ ...
  The Cossacks laughed until they were gasping for air: "Well, a rooster and a rooster!" "Your Graces!", cried the messenger in despair. "Cossacks! I am sent to inform you that His Majesty King Vladislav IV has died. Khmelnitsky even closed his eyes: how...
(criminal slang, prison slang, military slang, offensive) punk, prison bitch (a passive homosexual male, or a man forced into a homosexual relationship and used as a sex slave or servant by another man, especially in the prison and military systems)

Declension

Declension of пету́х (anim masc-form velar-stem accent-b)

	singular	plural
nominative	пету́х petúx	петухи́ petuxí
genitive	петуха́ petuxá	петухо́в petuxóv
dative	петуху́ petuxú	петуха́м petuxám
accusative	петуха́ petuxá	петухо́в petuxóv
instrumental	петухо́м petuxóm	петуха́ми petuxámi
prepositional	петухе́ petuxé	петуха́х petuxáx

Derived terms

инде́йский пету́х (indéjskij petúx)
пету́х-бое́ц (petúx-bojéc)
петуши́ться (petušítʹsja)
петушо́нок (petušónok)
петуша́ра (petušára)

Descendants

→ Adyghe: атакъэ (ataqɛ, “homosexual”) (semantic loan)
→ Armenian: պիտուխ (pitux)
→ Azerbaijani: petux
→ Georgian: ქათამი (katami, “homosexual”, prison slang) (semantic loan)
→ Kildin Sami: петтэх (pjettex)
→ Yakut: бөтүүк (bötüük)
→ English: petukh

References

Kiparsky, Valentin (1975) Russische historische Grammatik. Band III: Entwicklung des Wortschatzes (in German), Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 263