jezika

Jezika is the genitive singular form of the noun jezik in Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian. In these languages, jezik means tongue or language, and jezika is used in constructions that express possession, specification, or relation to a language. For example, znanje jezika means “knowledge of a language,” and more languages can be expressed with phrases like više jezika, indicating quantity or comparison.

Etymology and cognates: The word jezik derives from Proto-Slavic *językъ and has cognates across the Slavic language family, such as Polish język, Russian yazyk, and Ukrainian yazyk. These forms share a common root linked to the idea of tongue or speech and have parallel meanings related to language in their respective languages.

Usage and grammatical notes: Jezika appears primarily in formal and standard contexts where the genitive case is required. It is common in discussions of language learning, linguistic features, or when describing ownership of linguistic elements (for example, the vocabulary of a language). The related adjective form jezički is used to describe things pertaining to language, such as jezički standard or jezički izrazi.

See also: jezik; jezički; linguistics.