Prussia

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See also: Prússia

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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The flag of Prussia from 1892 to 1918.

Etymology[edit]

From New Latin Prūssia, a Latinization used by Peter of Dusburg of a Baltic (Old Prussian, or perhaps Lithuanian or Latvian) autonym. The Proto-Indo-European source of the name is unclear; more at Prussia. Compare the Proto-Balto-Slavic *prus-sk-,[1] whose cognates include Proto-Slavic *prъskati (“to splutter, to splash”), Sanskrit प्रुष्णोति (pruṣṇóti, “to sprinkle”),[1] and thus signifying "watery land".

The Middle English designation for the region, Pruce, derives from the same Latinization and is the source of the terms pruce and spruce.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈpɹʌʃə/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌʃə

Proper noun[edit]

Prussia

  1. (chiefly historical) A geographical area on the Baltic coast of northeastern Europe.
  2. (historical) A Baltic country located in this area, conquered by the Teutonic Order and ultimately absorbed into Germany.
  3. (historical) A German province which was originally located in this area but later greatly expanded, and which was the predecessor to and a member of the German Empire; abolished as an administrative unit at the end of the Second World War.
  4. (countable) A country known for exceptional military professionalism in her region. Historically used for Bulgaria as the "Prussia of the Balkans".
    • 2010, Stephen Kinzer, A Thousand Hills — Rwanda’s Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It:
      Sometimes referred to as the “Prussia of Africa,” Rwanda insists on enormous self-discipline from every citizen.
  5. A township in Adair County, Iowa, United States.
  6. Former name of Leader, Saskatchewan, changed due to anti-German sentiment in WWI.

Usage notes[edit]

In the Baltic languages the 'u' is long; it was also long in Middle English, but it has become short in modern English.

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Derksen, Rick (2008) Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 423

Anagrams[edit]

Italian[edit]

Italian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia it

Etymology[edit]

From New Latin Prūssia.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈprus.sja/
  • Rhymes: -ussja
  • Hyphenation: Prùs‧sia

Proper noun[edit]

Prussia f

  1. Prussia

Related terms[edit]

Latin[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Prūssia f sg (genitive Prūssiae); first declension

  1. Prussia

Declension[edit]

First-declension noun, with locative, singular only.

Case Singular
Nominative Prūssia
Genitive Prūssiae
Dative Prūssiae
Accusative Prūssiam
Ablative Prūssiā
Vocative Prūssia
Locative Prūssiae

Further reading[edit]

Portuguese[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Prussia f

  1. Obsolete spelling of Prússia
    • 1914, David Lloyd George, A Guerra Europea, Harrison and Sons, page 2:
      Porque é que a Austria e a Prussia não estão cumprindo com a sua parte do contracto ?
      Why are Austria and Prussia not performing the obligations of their bond ?
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