# князь
## Belarusian
### Alternative forms

* kniaź — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

### Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *kъnędzь.
Doublet of ксёндз (ksjondz), a borrowing from Polish.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [knʲasʲ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

князь • (knjazʹ) m pers (genitive кня́зя, nominative plural князі́, genitive plural князёў, feminine княгі́ня, relational adjective кня́жацкі or кня́жы or кня́скі or кня́жыцкі, diminutive князёк)
* prince; duke

#### Declension

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

### References

* “князь” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org

## Russian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *kъnędzь, borrowed from Germanic, from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz. The feminine form княги́ня (knjagínja, “princess”) has preserved the original, Germanic g sound.
Doublet of ксёндз (ksjondz), a borrowing from Polish, and ко́нунг (kónung).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [knʲæsʲ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

князь • (knjazʹ) m anim (genitive кня́зя, nominative plural князья́ or кня́зи$^*$, genitive plural князе́й, feminine княги́ня, relational adjective кня́жеский or кня́жий, diminutive князёк) (* uncommon)
* prince; duke

#### Usage notes

* In medieval Russia, the term князь (knjazʹ) denoted the ruler of a principality. In the Russian Empire, it was a high noble title which could be inherited or bestowed by the tsar, and was automatically granted to some members of the imperial family. The term is also used to translate some foreign noble titles, e.g. the German Fürst, the Italian principe, and the Georgian თავადი (tavadi) and ერისთავი (eristavi).
* There is a special translative form in the saying из гря́зи в кня́зи (iz grjázi v knjázi, “from rags to riches”).

#### Declension

$^△$Irregular. $^*$Uncommon.
$^△$Irregular.

#### Derived terms

* княги́ня f anim (knjagínja)
* княже́ние n (knjažénije)
* княжени́ка f (knjaženíka, “arctic raspberry”)
* кня́жество n (knjážestvo)
* кня́жить impf (knjážitʹ)
* кня́жич m anim (knjážič)
* княжна́ f anim (knjažná)

##### Phrases

* вели́кий кня́зь m anim (velíkij knjázʹ)
* из гря́зи в кня́зи (iz grjázi v knjázi)

#### Descendants

* → Azerbaijani: knyaz
* → Kazakh: кінәз (kınäz)
* → Turkmen: knýaz
* → Polish: kniaź
* → Yakut: кинээс (kinees)

#### See also

* принц m anim (princ)

### References

* Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “князь”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
* Shansky, N. M., editor (1982), “князь”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), volume 2, number 8 (К), Moscow: Moscow University Press, page 175
* Krylov, G. A. (2004) “князь”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Saint Petersburg: Victory, →ISBN
* Tsyhanenko, H. P. (1989) “князь”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Kyiv: Radjanska shkola, →ISBN, page 180

### Further reading

* Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882) “князь”, 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.

## Ukrainian
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Ukrainian князь m (knjazʹ, “a prince”), кнѧ́зь m (knjázʹ), from Old East Slavic [Term?], from Proto-Slavic *kъ̏nędzь m (“a prince”). Doublet of ксьондз (ksʹondz) and кінг (kinh).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [knʲazʲ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

князь • (knjazʹ) m pers (genitive кня́зя, nominative plural кня́зі, genitive plural кня́зів, feminine княги́ня, relational adjective князі́вський or кня́жий or кня́зів or князьки́й, diminutive кня́зик)
* the monarch of a state or a principality: prince, king, duke
* a royal title: prince, duke, etc.
* groom, bridegroom

#### Usage notes

* In medieval Ukraine (Kyivan Rus and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania), the term князь (knjazʹ) knyaz denoted the ruler of a state, later also of a principality. The ruler of a great state or an autonomous great principality was also called великий князь (grand duke) to distinguish him from the other dukes.

#### Derived terms

* князі́вство n (knjazívstvo)

### Further reading

* Shyrokov, V. A., editor (2010–2023), “князь”, in Словник української мови: у 20 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 20 vols] (in Ukrainian), volumes 1–14 (а – префере́нція), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka; Ukrainian Lingua-Information Fund, →ISBN