Jelen

Jelen is a masculine noun used in several South Slavic languages to denote a deer, typically a red deer or stag, though it can refer to deer in general. It is standard in Slovenian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, with the plural usually formed as jeleni. The term is a cognate of similar words in other Slavic languages, such as Czech jelen and Polish jeleń, all tracing back to Proto-Slavic jelenь.

In usage, jelen appears in everyday speech, wildlife reports, and literature to refer to wild deer. It is used for general reference as well as in descriptions of animal behavior, habitat, and ecology. While jelen covers deer broadly, more species-specific terms exist in various languages to name particular deer, such as the red deer (Cervus elaphus) found across European forests.

In cultural contexts, deer figures feature prominently in folklore, art, and heraldry, where a stag often symbolizes nobility, vitality, and the forest. The word jelen may also appear in place names and organizational names in regions where the relevant languages are spoken. Across dialects, pronunciation and minor spelling variations exist, but the core meaning remains the same: a deer.