kriza

Kriza is a term used in several South Slavic languages, particularly Serbo-Croatian, meaning crisis. In everyday usage it denotes a turning point or difficult period in political, economic, social, or health contexts. The word is commonly combined with other nouns to form phrases such as politička kriza (political crisis), ekonomska kriza (economic crisis), and zdravstvena kriza (health crisis). In some contexts the plural form is krize, meaning crises.

Etymology: Kriza is a loanword from the Latin-based word crisis, via Greek krisis and through Western European languages into South Slavic tongues. The spelling and pronunciation reflect the phonology of the language family, with the initial kr cluster and the ending -iza.

Usage and scope: The term is widely used in journalism, politics, economics, and social discourse to describe periods of instability or danger that require decisive action. It can describe abrupt events or extended periods characterized by stress or disruption, and is applied across various domains, including government, markets, health systems, and social cohesion.

Other uses: In addition to its common noun sense, Kriza may appear as a surname or as part of place names in regions where the language is spoken, though these uses are less common and highly dependent on local naming traditions.

See also: crisis, crisis (disambiguation).