# жена
## Bulgarian
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Church Slavonic жена (žena), from Proto-Slavic *žena, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *génāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ʒɛˈna]
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -na

### Noun

жена́ • (žená) f (relational adjective же́нски, diminutive жени́ца)
* woman, lady, female
* wife, spouse
* charwoman, home help

#### Usage notes

* The vocative жено (ženo) is considered vulgar and is therefore generally avoided.

#### Declension
### References

* “жена”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
* “жена”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
* Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “жена”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 536

### Anagrams

* нежа (neža)

## Carpathian Rusyn
### Noun

же́на • (žéna) f
* Lemko form of жона́ (žoná)

### References

* Kercha, Ihor (2012) “жена”, in Словник русько-русинськый: у 2 т. [Russian-Rusyn Dictionary: in 2 vols] (overall work in Russian and Carpathian Rusyn), Uzhhorod: PoliPrint, page 268
* Ołeksandr Hojsak (2018) “жена”, in Słownik gwary łemkowskiej wsi Wysowa, 1 edition, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, →ISBN, page 55

## Macedonian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *žena, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *génāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈʒɛna]
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: же‧на

### Noun

жена • (žena) f (plural жени, relational adjective женски, diminutive женичка or женче, augmentative жениште or женетина)
* woman
* wife
    Synonym: сопруга f (sopruga)

#### Antonyms

* маж m (maž)

#### Derived terms

* едноженство n (ednoženstvo)
* жени impf (ženi)
* женидба f (ženidba)
* женица f (ženica)
* женичка f (ženička)
* жениште n (ženište)
* женка f (ženka)
* женкар m (ženkar)
* женкарство n (ženkarstvo)
* женска f (ženska)
* женскар m (ženskar)
* женски (ženski)
* женско n (žensko)
* женсковина f (ženskovina)
* женскост f (ženskost)
* женскотија f (ženskotija)
* женствен (ženstven)
* женственост f (ženstvenost)
* женче n (ženče)
* женчуле n (ženčule)
* женчуленце n (ženčulence)
* многуженство n (mnoguženstvo)
* ожени pf (oženi)
* прежени pf (preženi)
* преженува impf (preženuva)
* прожени pf (proženi)
* се жени impf (se ženi)
* се ожени pf (se oženi)
* се прежени pf (se preženi)
* се преженува impf (se preženuva)
* се прожени pf (se proženi)

## Old Church Slavonic
### Alternative forms

* Glagolitic: ⰶⰵⱀⰰ (žena)

### Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *žena, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *génāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn.

### Noun

жена • (žena) f
* woman
* wife

#### See also

| отьчьство (otĭčĭstvo, “family”) | Male | Female |
| parent родител҄ь (roditelʹĭ) | отьць (otĭcĭ), авва (avva, “father”) | мати (mati, “mother”) |
| sibling | братръ (bratrŭ, “brother”) | сестра (sestra, “sister”) |
| child | сꙑнъ (synŭ, “son”) | дъщи (dŭšti, “daughter”) |
| grandparent | дѣдъ (dědŭ, “grandfather”) | баба (baba, “grandmother”) |
| grandchild | въноукъ (vŭnukŭ, “grandson”) | – (“granddaughter”) |
| great-grandparent | прѣдѣдъ (prědědŭ, “great-grandfather”) | – (“great-grandmother”) |
| mother's sibling | оуи (ui, “maternal uncle”) | – (“maternal aunt”) |
| father's sibling | стрꙑи (stryi, “paternal uncle”) | – (“paternal aunt”) |
| sibling's child | братанъ (bratanŭ), сꙑновь (synovĭ), сꙑновьць (synovĭcĭ, “nephew”) | братана (bratana, “niece”) |
| cousin | братоучѧдъ (bratučędŭ, “male cousin”) | братоучѧда (bratučęda, “female cousin”) |
| spouse | мѫжь (mǫžĭ), чрьтожьникъ (črĭtožĭnikŭ), малъженъ (malŭženŭ, “husband”) | жена (žena), чрьтожьница (črĭtožĭnica), съложь (sŭložĭ, “wife”) |
| parent of wife | тьсть (tĭstĭ, “father-in-law (wife's father)”) | тьща (tĭšta, “mother-in-law (wife's mother)”) |
| parent of husband | свекръ (svekrŭ, “father-in-law (husband's father)”) | свекрꙑ (svekry, “mother-in-law (husband's father)”) |
| sibling of husband | дєвєръ (deverŭ, “brother-in-law (husband's brother)”) | зълꙑ (zŭly, “sister-in-law (husband's sister)”) |
| spouse of child | зѧть (zętĭ, “son-in-law (daughter's husband)”) | снъха (snŭxa, “daughter-in-law (son's wife)”) |
| spouse of husband's brother | – | етрꙑ (etry), кѫпетра (kǫpetra, “sister-in-law (husband's brother's wife)”) |
| stepchild | пасторъкъ (pastorŭkŭ, “stepson”) | – (“stepdaughter”) |
| step-parent | отьчимъ (otĭčimŭ, “stepfather”) | мащеха (maštexa, “stepmother”) |

## Old East Slavic
### Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *žena.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʑɛˈnɑ/→/ʑɛˈna/→/ʑɛˈna/
* (ca. 9th CE) IPA: /ʑɛˈnɑ/
* (ca. 11th CE) IPA: /ʑɛˈna/
* (ca. 13th CE) IPA: /ʑɛˈna/
* Hyphenation: же‧на

### Noun

жена (žena) f (diminutive женъка or жонъка)
* woman
* wife

#### Coordinate terms

* (woman): мѫжь (mǫžĭ, “man”)
* (wife): мѫжь (mǫžĭ, “husband”)

#### Descendants

* Old Ruthenian: жена (žena), жана (žana), жона (žona)
** Belarusian: жана́ (žaná) (dated)
** Carpathian Rusyn: жона́ (žoná), же́на (žéna) (Lemko)
** Ukrainian: жона́ (žoná) (dated)
* Russian: жена́ (žená)

### References

* Sreznevsky, Izmail I. (1893) “жена”, in Матеріалы для Словаря древне-русскаго языка по письменнымъ памятникамъ [Materials for the Dictionary of the Old East Slavic Language Based on Written Monuments]‎ (in Russian), volume 1 (А – К), Saint Petersburg: Department of Russian Language and Literature of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, column 857

## Pannonian Rusyn
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Slovak žena, from Proto-Slavic *žena. Cognates include Carpathian Rusyn жона́ (žoná) and Slovak žena.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈʒɛna]
* Rhymes: -ɛna
* Hyphenation: же‧на

### Noun

жена (žena) f (diminutive женочка, augmentative женїска, related adjective женов or женски)
* female, woman
    Coordinate terms: хлоп (xlop), чловек (človek)
* wife
    Synonym: супруга (supruha)
    Coordinate terms: муж (muž), супруг (supruh), хлоп (xlop)

#### Usage notes

* The plural instrumental form женами (ženami) is less common than женми (ženmi).

#### Related terms

* женєти (ženjeti)
* женїн (ženjin)
* женствени (ženstveni)
* оженєти (oženjeti)
* женїдба f (ženjidba)
* женка f (ženka)
* женяч m pers (ženjač)
* женїц impf (ženjic)
* оженїц pf (oženjic)

### Further reading

* Medʹeši, H., Fejsa, M., Timko-Djitko, O. (2010) “жена”, in Ramač, Ju., editor, Руско-сербски словнїк [Rusyn-Serbian Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy
* Fejsa, M., Šlemender, M., Čelʹovski, S. (2022) “wife”, in Анґлийско-руски словнїк [English-Rusyn Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy; Ruska matka, →ISBN, page 377
* Fejsa, M., Šlemender, M., Čelʹovski, S. (2022) “woman”, in Анґлийско-руски словнїк [English-Rusyn Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy; Ruska matka, →ISBN, page 380

## Russian
### Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic жена (žena), from Proto-Slavic *žena, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *génāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn, whence English queen and gyno-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ʐɨˈna]
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -a

### Noun

жена́ • (žená) f anim (genitive жены́, nominative plural жёны, genitive plural жён, diminutive жёнушка or жену́ля or жену́лька)
* wife
    Synonym: супру́га (suprúga)
    Antonym: супру́г m (suprúg)
    Antonym: муж m (muž)
** 1887, Николай Лесков [Nikolai Leskov], “Глава третья”, in Грабёж; English translation from Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, transl., A Robbery, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013:Они́ жену́ мне хоте́ли взять из орло́вских для того́, что́бы у нас бы́ло обновле́ние родства́.Oní ženú mne xotéli vzjatʹ iz orlóvskix dlja tovó, štóby u nas býlo obnovlénije rodstvá.She wanted to take a wife for me from the Orel girls, so as to renew the family.
* (obsolete, poetic) woman
** 1997, Nautilus Pompilius [Nautilus Pompilius] (lyrics and music), “Сёстры печали [Sjóstry pečali]”, in Яблокитай:Жёны ра́дости пьют твоё вре́мя, как во́ду, А сёстры печа́ли внеза́пны, как дождь; Жёнам ра́дости в тя́гость доро́ги свобо́ды, А сёстры печа́ли иду́т за тобо́й. Иду́т за тобо́й, пока́ не умрёшь...Žóny rádosti pʹjut tvojó vrémja, kak vódu, A sjóstry pečáli vnezápny, kak doždʹ; Žónam rádosti v tjágostʹ dorógi svobódy, A sjóstry pečáli idút za tobój. Idút za tobój, poká ne umrjóšʹ...(please add an English translation of this quotation)

#### Derived terms

* жена́тый (ženátyj)
* жёнка (žónka)
* же́нщина (žénščina)
* жени́ть (ženítʹ)
* жени́ться (ženítʹsja)
* жени́тьба f (ženítʹba)
* женоненави́стничество n (ženonenavístničestvo)
* же́нин (žénin)

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *žena, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *génāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʒěna/
* Hyphenation: же‧на

### Noun

жѐна f (Latin spelling žèna, diminutive жѐница, relational adjective жѐнскӣ)
* woman
* wife

#### Derived terms

* жѐнити

### References

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