biljni

Biljni is an adjective used in several South Slavic languages, notably Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian, to denote something related to plants or of plant origin. It can describe plant-based products, botanical contexts, or characteristics derived from plants. The opposite in contexts of origin is often life- or animal-related, such as živo tinja for animal-derived terms, depending on the domain.

Etymology and usage: The word biljni derives from the noun biljka meaning plant, with the common adjectival suffix -ni. The root bilj- is linked to plant life and to related words such as bilje (herbs, greens). The term is widely used in Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian, and is understood in Montenegrin as well. In English translations, biljni can correspond to botanic, botanical, or plant-based, depending on context.

Common contexts: In nutrition and everyday language, biljni proizvodi or biljna hrana refers to plant-derived foods; biljni čajevi denotes herbal teas; biljni lijekovi means herbal medicines. In science and industry, biljni material or biljni pigmenti refer to plant material and plant pigments. The term is also used in ecological or agricultural descriptions to indicate plant-related aspects, such as biljni habitat or biljna produkcija, though specific phrases vary by language variety.

See also: botany, herbal medicine, plant-based diet, plant genetics.