ovaly

Ovaly is the transliteration of the Russian plural овалы, meaning “ovals” or oval-shaped figures. It is used in Russian-language mathematics, architecture, and design texts to refer to multiple oval shapes. In English, ovály or ovaly is not a standard word; speakers typically use “ovals” for the plural or describe “oval shapes.” The singular form in Russian is oval (oval).

Etymology and relation to other terms: The root is shared with the English word oval, both tracing back to the Latin ovalis, meaning egg-shaped. The Russian noun овал is a loanword from European languages that use the same root, and овалы is the natural plural form in Russian.

Usage notes: When translating or transliterating Russian sources, овалы is commonly rendered as “ovals” in English. Depending on the transliteration scheme, some systems may render it as “ovaly,” but this is not standard in English-language texts outside of direct linguistic or transliteration contexts. Conceptually, ovals correspond to the geometric notion of oval shapes and are related to, but distinct from, ellipses.

See also: oval, ellipse, oblong, ovality.