sova

See also: Appendix:Variations of "sova"

Czech

Alternative forms

• sůva (informal)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsova]

Noun

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

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

Declension

Declension of sova (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	sova	sovy
genitive	sovy	sov
dative	sově	sovám
accusative	sovu	sovy
vocative	sovo	sovy
locative	sově	sovách
instrumental	sovou	sovami

Derived terms

adjective

• soví

nouns

• sovička
• sovinec

Further reading

• “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), 2008–2026

Faroese

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsoːva/
• Rhymes: -oːva

Verb

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

1. to sleep

Conjugation

Conjugation of sova (group v-62)

infinitive	sova
supine	sovið
	present	past
first singular	sovi	svav
second singular	svevur	svavst
third singular	svevur	svav
plural	sova	svóvu
participle	sovandi	—
	imperative
singular	sov!
plural	sovið!

Derived terms

• forsova (to oversleep)
• hálvsova (to slumber)
• ovsova (to sleep too much)
• steinsova (to be fast asleep)

Ingrian

Sova.

Alternative forms

• sava

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian сова (sova).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

sova

1. owl

Declension

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.

Derived terms

• sovaporoda

See also

• hyypiäs (“eagle owl”)

References

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

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

From Old Norse sofa.

Pronunciation

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

Verb

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

1. to sleep

References

• “sova” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• svoa, vaso, vaso-

Old Swedish

Etymology

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

Verb

sova

1. to sleep

Conjugation

Conjugation of sova (strong)

	present				past
infinitive	sova				—
participle	sovandi, sovande				sovin
active voice	indicative	subjunctive	imperative		indicative	subjunctive
iæk	sover	sovi, sove	—		sōf	sōvi, sōve
þū	sover	sovi, sove	sof		sōft	sōvi, sōve
han	sover	sovi, sove	—		sōf	sōvi, sōve
vīr	sovum, sovom	sovum, sovom	sovum, sovom		sōvum, sōvom	sōvum, sōvom
īr	sovin	sovin	sovin		sōvin	sōvin
þēr	sova	sovin	—		sōvu, sōvo	sōvin
mediopassive voice	indicative	subjunctive	imperative		indicative	subjunctive
iæk	—	—	—		—	—
þū	—	—	—		—	—
han	—	—	—		—	—
vīr	—	—	—		—	—
īr	—	—	—		—	—
þēr	—	—	—		—	—

Descendants

• Swedish: sova

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ.vɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ.vɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ.va/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ.vɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ.vɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ.bɐ/ [ˈsɔ.βɐ]

• Hyphenation: so‧va

Etymology 1

Deverbal from sovar. Compare Galician soba.

Noun

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

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

sova

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

Further reading

• “sova”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “sova”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sova.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sǒːʋa/

Noun

sóva f (Cyrillic spelling со́ва)

1. owl

Declension

Declension of sova

	singular	plural
nominative	sova	sove
genitive	sove	sova
dative	sovi	sovama
accusative	sovu	sove
vocative	sovo	sove
locative	sovi	sovama
instrumental	sovom	sovama

Further reading

• “sova”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Slovak

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Slavic *sova

Slovak sova

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sova.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔva/, [ˈsɔʋa]
• Rhymes: -ɔva
• Hyphenation: so‧va

Noun

sova f (relational adjective soví, diminutive sovička)

1. owl

Declension

Declension of sova
(pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	sova	sovy
genitive	sovy	sov
dative	sove	sovám
accusative	sovu	sovy
locative	sove	sovách
instrumental	sovou	sovami

Derived terms

adjective

• soví

nouns

• sôvä
• sovíča
• sovička

Further reading

• “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, 2003–2026

Slovene

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sova. First attested in the 16th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔ̀ːʋa/

Noun

sóva f

1. owl

Declension

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

Further reading

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

Swedish

en man som sover och snarkar i en säng [a man sleeping and snoring in a bed]

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²soːva/

• Audio (Gotland):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -²oːva

Verb

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

1. to sleep

   Synonyms: knoppa, kvarta, slafa, slagga, sussa, tryna

   God natt och sov gott!

   Good night and sleep well!

   Sov gott, vakna torrt!

   Sleep well, wake up dry!

   As in don't wet the bed – colloquial.

   Sover du?

   Are you asleep?

   • 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.

Conjugation

Conjugation of sova (class 5 strong)

	active		passive
infinitive	sova		sovas
supine	sovit		sovits
imperative	sov		—
imper. plural1	soven		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	sover	sov	sovs, soves	sovs
ind. plural1	sova	sovo	sovas	sovos
subjunctive2	sove	sove	soves	soves
present participle		sovande
past participle		—

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Derived terms

• försova
• sovrum
• sovvagn

Related terms

• somna
• sova ut
• sovare
• sömn
• söva

See also

• natti

References

• “sova”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “sova”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “sova”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)