Prussia

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See also: Prússia

English

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

Etymology

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

Proper noun

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

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

Translations

References

  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, page 423

Anagrams

Italian

Italian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia it

Etymology

From New Latin Prūssia.

Pronunciation

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

Proper noun

Prussia f

  1. Prussia

Latin

Proper noun

Prūssia f sg (genitive Prūssiae); first declension

  1. Prussia

Declension

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

Portuguese

Proper noun

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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