macecha

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech macecha, from Proto-Slavic *maťexa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmat͡sɛxa]
• Hyphenation: ma‧ce‧cha

Noun

macecha f

1. stepmother

   Synonym: nevlastní matka

Declension

Declension of macecha (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	macecha	macechy
genitive	macechy	macech
dative	maceše	macechám
accusative	macechu	macechy
vocative	macecho	macechy
locative	maceše	macechách
instrumental	macechou	macechami

Coordinate terms

Czech family terms

rodina (“family”)		Male	Female	Neutral
parent		otec (“father”) nursery: táta	matka (“mother”) nursery: máma	rodič (“parent”)
grandparent	paternal	dědeček (“paternal grandfather”) nursery: děda	babička (“paternal grandmother”) nursery: bába	prarodič (“grandparent”)
	maternal1	stařeček (“maternal grandfather”)	stařenka (“maternal grandmother”)
sibling		bratr (“brother”)	sestra (“sister”)	sourozenec (“sibling”)
cousin		bratranec (“male cousin”)	sestřenice (“female cousin”)	–
second cousin		vlastník, bratránek (“male second cousin”)	vlastnice, sestřenka (“female second cousin”)	–
child		syn (“son”)	dcera (“daughter”)	dítě (“child”)
grandchild		vnuk (“grandson”)	vnučka (“granddaughter”)	vnouče (“grandchild”)
parent's sibling	paternal	strýc (“paternal uncle”)	strýna (“paternal aunt”)2	–
	maternal	ujec (“maternal uncle”)2	teta (“maternal aunt”)	–
sibling's child		synovec (“nephew”)	neteř (“niece”)	–
spouse		manžel (“husband”)	manželka (“wife”)	choť (“spouse”)
spouse's parent		tchán (“father-in-law”)	tchyně (“mother-in-law”)	–
child's spouse		zeť (“son-in-law”)	snacha (“daughter-in-law”)	–
child's spouse's parent		svat (“co-father-in-law”)	svatka (“co-mother-in-law”)	–
sibling's spouse		švagr (“sibilar brother-in-law”)	švagrová (“sibilar ister-in-law”)	–
spouse's sibling3	marital	deveř (“marital brother-in-law”)	zelva (“marital sister-in-law”)	–
	uxorial	šír (“uxorial brother-in-law”)	svěst (“uxorial sister-in-law”)	–
stepparent		otčím (“stepfather”)	macecha (“stepmother”)	–
stepchild		pastorek (“stepson”)	pastorkyně (“stepdaughter”)	–
more distant: pra- (“grand- / once removed”) through a more distant ancestor: z druhého kolena (“second”) only through one parent: poloviční (“half-”) not blood relative: nevlastní (“step-”)

¹ Literary (the usual terms today are dědeček and babička).
² Literary (the usual terms today are strýc and teta).
³ Obsolete (replaced by švagr and švagrová).

Derived terms

• maceška f

Further reading

• “macecha”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “macecha”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “macecha”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Old Czech

Alternative forms

• macocha

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr

Proto-Balto-Slavic *mā́ˀtē

Proto-Slavic *màti

Proto-Slavic *-jexa

Proto-Slavic *maťexa

Old Czech macecha

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *maťexa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈmat͡sɛxa/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈmat͡sɛxa/

Noun

macecha f

1. stepmother

Declension

Declension of macecha (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	macecha	macešě	macechy
genitive	macechy	macechú	macech
dative	macešě	macechama	macechám
accusative	macechu	macešě	macechy
vocative	macecho	macešě	macechy
locative	macešě	macechú	macechách
instrumental	macechú	macechama	macechami

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.

Descendants

• Czech: macecha

See also

• otčím m

Further reading

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916), “macecha”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

Polish

Pronunciation

• (Greater Poland):
  • (Northern Greater Poland) IPA^(key): [maˈt͡sɛ.xa]
  • (Central Greater Poland) IPA^(key): [maˈt͡sɛ.xa]
  • (Eastern Greater Poland) IPA^(key): [maˈt͡sɛ.xa]

Noun

macecha f

1. (Central Greater Poland, Poznań, Northern Greater Poland, Eastern Greater Poland) alternative form of macocha (“stepmother”)

Further reading

• Waldemar Wierzba (2013), “macecha”, in Słownik Poznańskie słowa i ausdrucki (in Polish), 1st edition, Mierzyn: Albus, →ISBN, page 139
• Oskar Kolberg (1877), “macecha”, in “Rzecz o mowie ludu wielkopolskiego”, in Zbiór wiadomości do antropologii krajowéj (in Polish), volume 1, III (Materyjały etnologiczne), page 20