sova

• sůva (informal)

Inherited from Old Czech sova, from Proto-Slavic *sova.

• IPA^(key): [ˈsova]

sova f (relational adjective soví, diminutive sovička or sůvka)

1. owl (strigiform)
2. annoying person, especially an annoying woman

• “sova”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “sova”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “sova”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

From Old Norse sofa, from Proto-Germanic *swefaną, from Proto-Indo-European *swep-.

sova (third person singular past indicative svav, third person plural past indicative svóvu, supine sovið)

1. to sleep

• sava

Borrowed from Russian сова (sova).

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈsoʋɑ/, [ˈs̠o̞ʋɑ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈsoʋɑ/, [ˈʃo̞ʋɑ]
• Rhymes: -oʋɑ
• Hyphenation: so‧va

sova

1. owl

Declension of sova (type 3/koira, no gradation, gemination)
	singular	plural
nominative	sova	sovat
genitive	sovan	sovviin
partitive	sovvaa	sovvia
illative	sovvaa	sovvii
inessive	sovas	sovis
elative	sovast	sovist
allative	sovalle	soville
adessive	soval	sovil
ablative	sovalt	sovilt
translative	sovaks	soviks
essive	sovanna, sovvaan	sovinna, sovviin
exessive1)	sovant	sovint
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

• hyypiäs (“eagle owl”)

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 509

• sove (e-infinitive)
• såvå (dialectal)

From Old Norse sofa.

• IPA^(key): /²so(ː)va/
• Hyphenation: sò‧va

sova (present tense søv, past tense sov, supine sove, past participle soven, present participle sovande, imperative sov)

1. to sleep

• “sova” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• svoa, vaso, vaso-

From Old Norse sofa, from Proto-Germanic *swefaną.

sova

1. to sleep

• Swedish: sova

• Hyphenation: so‧va

Deverbal from sovar. Compare Galician soba.

sova f (plural sovas)

1. kneading (the act of kneading dough)
2. the act of treading on grapes
3. (informal) beating; spanking (act physically beating a person)

   Synonyms: surra, coça, espancamento

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

sova

1. inflection of sovar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sova.

• IPA^(key): /sǒːʋa/

sóva f (Cyrillic spelling со́ва)

1. owl

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

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sova.

• IPA^(key): [ˈsɔva]

sova f (relational adjective soví, diminutive sovička)

1. owl

• “sova”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sova.

• IPA^(key): /sɔ̀ːʋa/

sóva f

1. owl

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Feminine, a-stem
nom. sing.	sôva
gen. sing.	sôve
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	sôva	sôvi	sôve
genitive (rodȋlnik)	sôve	sôv	sôv
dative (dajȃlnik)	sôvi	sôvama	sôvam
accusative (tožȋlnik)	sôvo	sôvi	sôve
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	sôvi	sôvah	sôvah
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	sôvo	sôvama	sôvami

• “sova”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran
• “sova”, in Termania, Amebis
• See also the general references

From Old Swedish sova, from Old Norse sofa, from Proto-Germanic *swefaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swep- (“sleep”).

• IPA^(key): /²soːva/

• Audio:

  (file)

sova (present sover, preterite sov, supine sovit, imperative sov)

1. to sleep
   • 1869, “Sov du lilla vide ung (Videvisan) [Sleep, [you] little willow young (The Willow Song)]”, Zachris Topelius (lyrics), Alice Tegnér (music)‎^[1]:

     Sov, du lilla vide ung. Än så är det vinter. Än så sova [old present tense plural form, now "sover" – the present tense plural used to be identical to the infinitive for all verbs except vara] björk och ljung, ros och hyacinter. Än så är det långt till vår, innan rönn i blomma står. Sov, du lilla vide. Än så är det vinter. Solskensöga ser på dig. Solskensfamn dig vaggar. Snart blir grönt på skogens stig, och var blomma flaggar. Än en liten solskensbön: Vide liten blir så grön. Solskensöga ser dig. Solskensfamn dig vaggar.

     Sleep, ["you" – could be kept, but doesn't have the tone of "You little rascal" or the like as a vocative – see du] little willow young [poetic – putting the adjective last is equally unusual in Swedish here]. It is still winter [yet it is winter]. Yet [as in "still"] sleep birch and heather, rose and hyacinths. Spring is still a long way off [yet it is a long way to spring], before rowan is [stands] in bloom [normally "står i blom" rather than "står i blomma"]. Sleep, [you] little willow. It is still winter. Sunshine's eye watches you ["sunshine-eye watches you" – poetically terse in Swedish as well]. Sunshine's arms [see famn] rock you [like in a cradle (vagga)]. Soon the forest path will be green [soon it becomes green on the forest's path], and all the flowers fly their flags ["and each flower flags," as in puts out flags, figuratively]. Yet one little sunshine prayer [or plea]: Willow little turns so green. Sunshine's eye sees you. Sunshine's arms rock you.

• försova
• sovrum
• sovvagn

• somna
• sova ut
• sovare
• sömn
• söva

• sova in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• sova in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• sova in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)