мечка

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečьka, either of onomatopoeic origin or a simplified form of *medvědь (the standard proto-Slavic word for “bear”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛt͡ʃkɐ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation^(key): меч‧ка
• Rhymes: -ɛt͡ʃkɐ

ме́чка • (méčka) f (masculine мечо́к)

1. female equivalent of мечо́к (mečók): she-bear
2. (via generalization) bear (carnivor of family Ursidae)

   кафява мечка ― kafjava mečka ― brown bear

   полярна мечка ― poljarna mečka ― polar bear

   черна мечка ― černa mečka ― black bear

   мечка-гризли ― mečka-grizli ― grizzly bear

3. (figurative) lumbering, robust person

• ме́ца (méca), меца́на (mecána)
  • мечо́к (mečók, “male bear”)
  • мече́ (mečé, “bear cub”)
  • ме́чи (méči), ме́чешки (méčeški, “bearish”)
• ме́ча (méča), ме́кам (mékam, “to bellow”) (possibly related)

• “мечка”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “мечка”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• Nayden Gerov (1899) “ме́чка”, in Рѣчникъ на Блъгарскꙑй язꙑкъ. Съ тлъкувание рѣчи-тꙑ на Блъгарскꙑ и на Русскꙑ. [Dictionary of the Bulgarian language]‎^[1] (in Bulgarian), volume 3, Plovdiv: Дружествена печꙗтница "Съгласие.", page 62
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1986), “мечка¹”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 3 (крес¹ – мѝнго¹), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 777

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečьka.

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛt͡ʃka]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: меч‧ка

мечка • (mečka) f (plural мечки, masculine мечок, relational adjective мечкин, diminutive мече or меченце)

1. (zoology) bear
2. (figurative) hulk (big, clumsy person)

• мече n (meče)

• “мечка” in Дигитален речник на македонскиот јазик (Digitalen rečnik na makedonskiot jazik) [Digital dictionary of the Macedonian language] − drmj.eu

Inherited from Old East Slavic мечька (mečĭka), from Proto-Slavic *mečьka (“she-bear”), further origin uncertain.

мечка • (mečka) f animal

1. she-bear

   Synonym: медвѣдица (medvědica)

• Belarusian: ме́чка (mjéčka)
• → Latvian: meška
• → Lithuanian: meškà, mẽškė

• Bulyka, A. M., editor (1999), “мечка”, in Гістарычны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Historical Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), numbers 18 (местце – надзовати), Minsk: Belaruskaia navuka, →ISBN, page 20

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mečьka.

• IPA^(key): /mêt͡ʃka/
• Hyphenation: меч‧ка

ме̏чка f (Latin spelling mȅčka)

1. she-bear, female bear
2. show-bear, trained bear that performs at fairs
3. (slang) A Mercedes-Benz car

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