# меч
## Belarusian
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian мечъ (meč), from Proto-Slavic *mečь. Further etymology unclear.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [mʲet͡ʂ]
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -et͡ʂ
* Hyphenation: меч

### Noun

меч • (mječ) m inan (genitive мяча́, nominative plural мячы́, genitive plural мячо́ў)
* sword

#### 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 (1999), “мечъ”, in Гістарычны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Historical Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), numbers 18 (местце – надзовати), Minsk: Belaruskaia navuka, →ISBN, page 22
* ↑ Martynaŭ, V. U., editor (1991), “меч₁”, in Этымалагічны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Etymological Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), volumes 7 (мгла – не́марасць), Minsk: Navuka i technika, →ISBN, page 28

### Further reading

* “меч”, in Skarnik's Belarusian dictionary (in Belarusian), based on Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984)
* “меч” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org
* "меч" in Belarusian-Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at Verbum

## Bulgarian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečь, of unclear origin. In view of the doublet form *mьčь (whence e.g. Serbo-Croatian ма̏ч), borrowing from a foreign language is the most prevalent theory.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [mɛt͡ʃ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

меч • (meč) m (relational adjective ме́чов)
* sword
    дамо́клев меч ― damóklev meč ― sword of Damocles

#### Derived terms

* мечо- (mečo-) (in compounds)
** мечоно́сец (mečonósec, “swordbearer”)
** мечови́ден (mečovíden, “alike a sword”)

### References

* “меч”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
* “меч”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
* Nayden Gerov (1899) “мечь, ме́чеве”, in Рѣчникъ на Блъгарскꙑй язꙑкъ. Съ тлъкувание рѣчи-тꙑ на Блъгарскꙑ и на Русскꙑ. [Dictionary of the Bulgarian language]‎ (in Bulgarian), volume 3, Plovdiv: Дружествена печꙗтница "Съгласие.", page 63
* Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “мечь”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 775
* “мечь”, in Старобългарски речник [Old Bulgarian Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), https://histdict.uni-sofia.bg, 2011—2025

## Macedonian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečь. Further etymology unclear.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [mɛt͡ʃ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

меч • (meč) m
* sword
* epee

#### Declension
### Noun

меч • (meč) m
* match, game

## Russian
### Alternative forms

* мечъ (meč) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)

### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečь. Further etymology unclear.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [mʲet͡ɕ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

меч • (meč) m inan (genitive меча́, nominative plural мечи́, genitive plural мече́й, relational adjective ме́чный or мечево́й, diminutive ме́чик)
* sword (usually with a straight blade)
    дамо́клов меч ― damóklov meč ― sword of Damocles

#### Usage notes

* The Russian term меч (meč) usually refers only to straight-bladed swords. A sabre with a curved blade is regarded as a type of sword in English, but it is not a type of меч (meč) in Russian.

#### Related terms

* мечено́сец (mečenósec)
* мечехво́ст (mečexvóst)
* ме́чник (méčnik)
* ры́ба-меч (rýba-meč)

#### See also

* ката́на (katána)
* пала́ш (paláš)
* рапи́ра (rapíra)
* са́бля (sáblja)
* шпа́га f (špága)

### References

* Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “меч”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
* Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “меч”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 3rd edition, volume 1 (а – пантомима), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 528

### Anagrams

* чем (čem)

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

From English match.

### Noun

ме̏ч m (Latin spelling mȅč)
* match (sporting event)

#### Further reading

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

## Ukrainian
### Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *mečь. Further etymology unclear.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [mɛt͡ʃ]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

меч • (meč) m inan (genitive меча́, nominative plural мечі́, genitive plural мечі́в)
* sword

#### Declension
### Further reading

* Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “меч”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
* Shyrokov, V. A., editor (2010–2023), “меч”, 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
* “меч”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horokh – Inflection] (in Ukrainian)