Київ

Ки́їв • (Kýjiv) m

1. Kyiv (the capital city of Ukraine)

From Old East Slavic Кꙑевъ (Kyevŭ), of uncertain origin.

The traditional etymology is from the name of a legendary founder, Кий (Kyj), mentioned in the Hypatian Codex. However, historian Michael Hrushevsky warned that this was an “etymological myth”.

A proposal by linguist Jaroslav Rudnyckyj, accepted by several émigré linguists and supported by multiple lines of evidence, holds that Київ (Kyjiv) comes rather from the same term as Modern Ukrainian кий (kyj, “stick, pole”), meaning a settlement palisaded ки́ями (kýjamy, “by poles”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɪjiu̯]

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Ки́їв • (Kýjiv) m inan (genitive Ки́єва, uncountable, related adjective ки́ївський)

1. Kyiv (the capital city of Ukraine)

   у Ки́єві, у Ки́єву ― u Kýjevi, u Kýjevu ― in Kyiv

   у Ки́їв, до Ки́єва ― u Kýjiv, do Kýjeva ― to Kyiv

   з Ки́єва ― z Kýjeva ― from Kyiv

• Rudnyc'kyj, Ja. (1972–1982), “Ки́їв”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language, volume 2 (Д – Ь), issue 12–22, Ottawa: Ukr. Mohylo-Mazepian Acad. of Sci. & Ukr. Lang. Assoc., →LCCN, page 660
• Luchyk, V. V. (2014), “Київ”, in Етимологічний словник топонімів України [Etymological Dictionary of Toponyms of Ukraine] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Academy, →ISBN, page 259
• Stryzhak, O. S., editor (1985), “Кыєвъ”, in Етимологічний словник літописних географічних назв Південної Русі [Etymological Dictionary of Chronicle Geographical Names of Southern Rus'] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, page 77
• Melnychuk, O. S., editor (1985), “кий”, in Етимологічний словник української мови [Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language] (in Ukrainian), volume 2 (Д – Копці), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, page 430
• “Київ”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horokh – Inflection] (in Ukrainian)
• “Ки́їв”, in Kyiv Dictionary (in English)
• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “Ки́їв”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• A. Rysin, V. Starko, et al. (compilers, 2011–2020), “Київ”, in English-Ukrainian Dictionaries