князь

See also: knyaz

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• kniaź — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *kъnędzь.

Doublet of ксёндз (ksjondz), a borrowing from Polish.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [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)

1. prince; duke

Declension

Declension of князь (pr soft masc-form accent-c)

	singular	plural
nominative	князь knjazʹ	князі́ knjazí
genitive	кня́зя knjázja	князёў knjazjóŭ
dative	кня́зю knjázju	князя́м knjazjám
accusative	кня́зя knjázja	князёў knjazjóŭ
instrumental	кня́зем knjázjem	князя́мі knjazjámi
locative	кня́зю knjázju	князя́х knjazjáx
count form	—	кня́зі1 knjázi1

¹Used 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 конунг (konung).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [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)

1. 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

Declension of князь (anim masc-form soft-stem accent-c/e irreg) 

	singular	plural
nominative	кня́зь knjázʹ	князья́△, кня́зи* knjazʹjá△, knjázi*
genitive	кня́зя knjázja	князе́й△ knjazéj△
dative	кня́зю knjázju	князья́м△, князя́м* knjazʹjám△, knjazjám*
accusative	кня́зя knjázja	князе́й△ knjazéj△
instrumental	кня́зем knjázem	князья́ми△, князя́ми* knjazʹjámi△, knjazjámi*
prepositional	кня́зе knjáze	князья́х△, князя́х* knjazʹjáx△, knjazjáx*
vocative	кня́же knjáže

^△ Irregular.
^* Uncommon.

Pre-reform declension of князь (anim masc-form soft-stem accent-c/e irreg) 

	singular	plural
nominative	кня́зь knjázʹ	князья́△, кня́зи knjazʹjá△, knjázi
genitive	кня́зя knjázja	князе́й△ knjazéj△
dative	кня́зю knjázju	князья́мъ△, князя́мъ knjazʹjám△, knjazjám
accusative	кня́зя knjázja	князе́й△ knjazéj△
instrumental	кня́земъ knjázem	князья́ми△, князя́ми knjazʹjámi△, knjazjámi
prepositional	кня́зѣ knjázě	князья́хъ△, князя́хъ knjazʹjáx△, knjazjáx
vocative	кня́же knjáže

^△ Irregular.

Derived terms

• вели́кий кня́зь (velíkij knjázʹ)
• из гря́зи в кня́зи (iz grjázi v knjázi)
• княги́ня (knjagínja)
• кня́жение (knjáženije)
• кня́жество (knjážestvo)
• кня́жить (knjážitʹ)
• кня́жич (knjážič)
• княжна́ (knjažná)

Descendants

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

See also

• принц (princ)

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^(key): [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)

1. the monarch of a state or a principality: prince, king, duke
2. a royal title: prince, duke, etc.
3. groom, bridegroom

Usage notes

• In medieval Ukraine (Kyivan Rus and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania), the term князь (knjazʹ) 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.

Declension

Declension of князь (pers soft masc-form accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	князь knjazʹ	кня́зі knjázi
genitive	кня́зя knjázja	кня́зів knjáziv
dative	кня́зеві, кня́зю knjázevi, knjázju	кня́зям knjázjam
accusative	кня́зя knjázja	кня́зів knjáziv
instrumental	кня́зем knjázem	кня́зями knjázjamy
locative	кня́зеві, кня́зю, кня́зі knjázevi, knjázju, knjázi	кня́зях knjázjax
vocative	кня́зю knjázju	кня́зі knjázi

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