ozero

Ozero is the transliteration of the Russian word озеро, which means "lake." It is used in Russian and other Slavic languages to refer to a natural lake. The noun озеро is neuter in gender; its plural form is озёра. The etymology traces to the Proto-Slavic root *ozero, with cognates in related Slavic languages such as Ukrainian озеро.

In English-language contexts, озеро is often transliterated as ozero when the goal is to preserve the original language form of a name or term, particularly in linguistic or historical discussions about Russian geography. More commonly, the standard English rendering uses the translation "Lake" followed by the proper name (for example, Lake Baikal).

Toponymy and usage: Many lake names in Russian are formed as озеро + a geographic or personal name (for example, озеро Байкал). In transliterated form, these may appear as "Ozero Baikal." In modern cartography and general writing, however, it is typical to translate озеро as "Lake" and render the name in Latin script without the озеро element.

See also: Lake (geography); Transliteration; Slavic languages; Proto-Slavic.

Ozero therefore functions both as a common noun in the Slavic lexicon and as a transliterated element in place names, reflecting the close relationship between language, geography, and naming traditions in the region.