# хала
## Bulgarian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈxaɫɐ]

### Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *xala, possibly contamination of various sources. Some aspects of the creature could be from Ancient Greek χάλαζα (khálaza, “hail”) (per Georgieva), while others from native roots related to ха́лост (hálost, “futility, lack of structure”), наха́лен (nahálen, “impertinent, intrusive”). In Western dialects, the word is homophonous with the dialectal word for serpent (cf. Serbo-Croatian а̏ла, Macedonian ала (ala)), of Turkish origin.
Mythological depictions combine elements from Slavic (see Coordinate terms) and Paleo-Balkan mythology (cf. Ancient Greek Τυφῶν (Tuphôn), Ἄνεμοι (Ánemoi); Thracian Chaos-dragon; Albanian Kulshedra).

#### Noun

ха́ла • (hála) f (masculine хал)
* (Slavic mythology) tempest, typhon (mythological creature or phantasm that brings hails, blizzards, thunderstorms, and/or whirlwinds; believed to reside within stormclouds or in thick fogs)
    → (figurative) great calamity, fury, natural force (as phenomenon)
       Synonyms: бу́ря (búrja), спри́я (spríja), фури́я (furíja)
    → ichthyoid or serpentine monster (as a physical being)
    → hex, witch who controls the weather (as a personification)
* (figurative) female equivalent of хал (hal): ferocious, feral person or animal
    ха́ла-кон ― hála-kon ― ferocious horse/stallion
* (colloquial, derogatory, figurative) female equivalent of хал (hal): gourmand, glutton, unsatiable person
    Synonyms: ла́комник (lákomnik), ненаси́тник (nenasítnik)

##### Coordinate terms

* ви́ла (víla), ди́ва (díva), ю́да (júda) (fairy creatures believed to have mastery over natural phenomena)
* змей (zmej, “dragon”), ламя́ (lamjá, “lamia”), стри́га (stríga, “strix”), гороло́м (gorolóm, “tempest”) (similar mythological monsters)
* я́ро (járo), я́рило (járilo, “natural calamity”) (mythological being)

##### Derived terms

* ха́лище (hálište), хале́тина (halétina) (augmentative)

##### See also

* мо́чер (móčer, “olm”) (an amphibian native to the Western Balkans, colloquially imagined to have supernatural abilities similar to хала)

#### References

* “хала”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
* “хала”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
* Nayden Gerov, Тодор Панчев (1904) “хала”, in Рѣчникъ на Блъгарскꙑй язꙑкъ. Съ тлъкувание рѣчи-тꙑ на Блъгарскꙑ и на Русскꙑ. [Dictionary of the Bulgarian language]‎ (in Bulgarian), volume 5, Plovdiv: Дружествена печꙗтница "Съгласие.", page 482
* Ан. Стойнев, Р. Попов, et al. (2006) “Хала”, in Българска митология. Енциклопедичен речник, Изд. "Захарий Стоянов"

### Etymology 2

Theoretical singular of nowadays plurale tantum ха́ли pl (háli), borrowed from German Halle. The concept stems from East German Kaufhallen, which were incorporated/copied throughout the former Eastern Bloc during 20th century. Etymologically, doublet of хол (hol) (borrowed from English instead).

#### Noun

ха́ла • (hála) f
* (obsolete) large covered marketplace

##### Alternative forms

* ха́ле (hále)

##### Coordinate terms

* тъ́ржище (tǎ́ržište, “marketplace”)
* паза́р (pazár, “bazaar”)
* суперма́ркет (supermárket, “supermarket”)

#### References

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

## Chechen
### Adjective

хала • (xala)
* difficult

## Ingush
### Adjective

хала • (xala)
* difficult

## Russian
### Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew חלה (khalá), probably by way of Yiddish חלה (khale).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈxaɫə]

### Noun

ха́ла • (xála) f inan (genitive ха́лы, nominative plural ха́лы, genitive plural хал)
* challah, twist

#### Declension
## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology 1

From German Halle.

#### Noun

хала f (Latin spelling hala)
* hall

### Etymology 2

From Ottoman Turkish خلا (halâ), from Arabic خَلَاء (ḵalāʔ).

#### Noun

хала f (Latin spelling hala)
* WC, water closet
* toilet
* privy

##### Synonyms

* клозет, нужник

### Etymology 3

From Ottoman Turkish خاله (hâla, hâle), from Arabic خَالَة (ḵāla).

#### Noun

хала f (Latin spelling hala)
* aunt (maternal or paternal)

##### Synonyms

* тетка

### Etymology 4
#### Adjective

ха́ла or ха̀ла or ха̏ла (Latin spelling hála or hàla or hȁla)
* Alternative form of ала (“spotted”)

#### Noun

ха́ла or ха̀ла or ха̏ла f (Latin spelling hála or hàla or hȁla)
* Alternative form of ала (“dragon”)

## Ukrainian
### Etymology

From Hebrew חלה (khalá), probably by way of Yiddish חלה (khale).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈxaɫɐ]

### Noun

ха́ла • (xála) f inan (genitive ха́ли, nominative plural ха́ли, genitive plural хал)
* challah, twist