vlk

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech vlk, from Proto-Slavic *vьlkъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *wilkás, from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈvl̩k]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: vlk
• Rhymes: -l̩k

Noun

vlk m anim (female equivalent vlčice, relational adjective vlčí)

1. wolf

   V dálce slyšely výt vlky. ― The howls of wolves could be heard from the distance.

2. (expressive) experienced, courageous person
3. (expressive, derogatory) insidious, cruel person

Declension

Declension of vlk (velar masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	vlk	vlci
genitive	vlka	vlků
dative	vlkovi, vlku	vlkům
accusative	vlka	vlky
vocative	vlku	vlci
locative	vlkovi, vlku	vlcích
instrumental	vlkem	vlky

Related terms

adjectives

• vlčí

nouns

• vlčák
• vlče
• vlček
• vlčice
• vlčinka
• vlkodlak

verbs

• zvlčit

Noun

vlk m inan

1. child's noisemaking spinning top
2. (textiles, rare) tearing machine
3. (colloquial) sprain, charley horse
4. (forestry) burgeoning tree shoot
5. (folk) spiny burdock fruit
6. (folk) charred candle wick

Declension

Declension of vlk (velar masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	vlk	vlky
genitive	vlka, vlku	vlků
dative	vlku	vlkům
accusative	vlka	vlky
vocative	vlku	vlky
locative	vlku	vlcích
instrumental	vlkem	vlky

Further reading

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

Old Czech

Alternative forms

• vľk (alternative writing)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *vьlkъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *wilkás, from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

vlk m animal

1. wolf

Declension

Declension of vlk (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	vlk	vlky	vlci, vlkové
genitive	vlka, vlku	vlkú	vlkóv
dative	vlku, vlkovi	vlkoma	vlkóm
accusative	vlk, vlka	vlky	vlky
vocative	vlče	vlky	vlci, vlkové
locative	vlcě, vlku, vlkovi	vlkú	vlciech
instrumental	vlkem	vlkoma	vlky

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

Descendants

• Czech: vlk

Further reading

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

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

vlk m anim (Cyrillic spelling влк)

1. obsolete spelling of vuk

Slovak

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *wl̥kʷós?

Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos

Proto-Balto-Slavic *wilkás

Proto-Slavic *vьlkъ

Slovak vlk

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *vьlkъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vl̩k/, [ˈʋl̩k]
• Rhymes: -l̩k

• Audio (Bratislava):

  (file)

• Homophone: Vlk

Noun

vlk m pers or m animal (genitive singular vlka, nominative plural vlci or vlky, genitive plural vlkov, declension pattern of chlap or dub)

1. wolf

Declension

Declension of vlk
(patterns chlap (singular, plural 1) and dub (plural 2))

	singular	plural 1	plural 2
nominative	vlk	vlci	vlky
genitive	vlka	vlkov	vlkov
dative	vlkovi, vlku	vlkom	vlkom
accusative	vlka	vlkov	vlky
locative	vlkovi, vlku	vlkoch	vlkoch
instrumental	vlkom	vlkmi	vlkmi

Derived terms

• vlčica
• vlčí
• vĺča
• vĺčok, vĺčik
• vlčisko

Further reading

• “vlk”, 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