# яйцо
## Belarusian
### Alternative forms

* jajco — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

### Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian ꙗйце (jajce), from Old East Slavic ꙗице (jaice), from Proto-Slavic *ājьcè, diminutive of *ȃje (“egg”), ultimately from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ṓja (“egg”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm (“egg”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [jajˈt͡so]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

яйцо́ • (jajcó) n inan (genitive яйца́, nominative plural я́йцы, genitive plural яе́ц, relational adjective яе́чны, diminutive яе́чка)
* egg (approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, insects, reptiles, and other animals, housing the embryo within a membrane or shell during its development)
    Synonym: я́йка (jájka)
** 1918, Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski, “Brynduški-żartuški”, in Prypieŭki, Vilnius: Drukarnia „Źnič“, page 23:Kurka mnie jajco źniasie, / Tabie padaruju.A hen will lay an egg for me, and I'll gift it to you.
* (colloquial, usually in the plural) testicle, ball (the male sex and endocrine gland, found in most types of animals, that produces sperm)
    Synonym: яе́чка (jajéčka)
** 2003, Уладзімір Някляеў, “Гульні жаданняў”, in Лабух, Minsk; republished as “Піянерскі салют”, in Дванаццаць актаў (зборнік)‎, Litres, 2022, →ISBN:Па беразе кульгаў прыгорблены Максім Герасімавіч Блонак [...] Яйцы ён гразіў адарваць і піянерам, і піянеркам — хто іх там у вадзе разбярэ.Pa bjerazje kulʹhaŭ pryhórbljeny Maksim Hjerasimavič Blónak [...] Jajcy jon hraziŭ adarvacʹ i pijanjeram, i pijanjerkam — xto ix tam u vadzje razbjare.Along the shore hobbled the hunched Maksim Hierasimavič Błonak [...] He was making threats to tear off the testicles of both the pioneer boys and girls alike—not that anyone could tell them apart in the water anyway.
* ovum (the female gamete in animals; the egg cell)
    Synonyms: аацы́т (aacýt), яйцакле́тка (jajcakljétka)

#### Declension

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

### References

* Bulyka, A. M., editor (2017), “яйцо”, in Гістарычны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Historical Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), numbers 37 (чорное – ящыкъ), Minsk: Belaruskaia navuka, →ISBN, page 308
* “яйцо” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org
* "яйцо" in Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984) at Verbum

## Russian
### Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic ꙗице (jaice), from Proto-Slavic *ājьcè, diminutive of *ȃje (“egg”), ultimately from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ṓja (“egg”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm (“egg”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [(j)ɪjˈt͡so]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

яйцо́ • (jajcó) n inan (genitive яйца́, nominative plural я́йца, genitive plural яи́ц or я́иц$^*$, relational adjective яи́чный, diminutive яи́чко) (* Colloquial.)
* egg
    (proverb) я́йца ку́рицу не у́чат ― jájca kúricu ne účat ― don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs
* ovum
* (colloquial) testicle, ball, nut, nad, gonad
    Synonyms: мудо́ (mudó), мудё (mudjó), мудя́ (mudjá)
    она́ де́ржит его́ за я́йца ― oná déržit jevó za jájca ― she's got him by the balls

#### Declension

$^△$Irregular. $^*$Colloquial.
$^△$Irregular.

#### Related terms

* яи́чница (jaíšnica, jaíčnica)
* яи́чко (jaíčko)
* подка́тывать я́йца (podkátyvatʹ jájca)

### See also

* всмя́тку (vsmjátku)
* вкруту́ю (vkrutúju)
* глазу́нья (glazúnʹja)
* яи́чница-глазу́нья (jaíšnica-glazúnʹja, jaíčnica-glazúnʹja)
* болту́нья (boltúnʹja)
* яи́чница-болту́нья (jaíšnica-boltúnʹja, jaíčnica-boltúnʹja)
* яйцо́-пашо́т (jajcó-pašót)
* го́голь-мо́голь (gógolʹ-mógolʹ)

### Further reading

* Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “яйцо”, 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.