rebyonok

Rebyonok (Russian: ребенок) is the standard Russian noun for a human child. It refers to a person who has not yet reached adulthood, typically from birth through adolescence. The term is used in everyday speech, education, media, and literature, and it appears in both general discussions of childhood and in descriptions of individual families or young people.

Linguistic notes: The word is masculine in gender. The common nominative plural is дети. Affectionate or diminutive forms are common in speech, such as ребёночек, used to speak about a small or beloved child. The term can be used in a wide range of contexts, from medical and educational to familial and cultural.

Legal and social context: In international law, the term child is defined as a person under 18, unless national law specifies a different age. In the Russian Federation, the age of majority is 18. The word rebyonok is commonly encountered in discussions of child rights, welfare, health, education, and social policy, as well as in everyday parenting and caregiving.

Cultural usage: Rebyonok appears across Russian-language media, literature, and discourse about childhood and family life. It can denote a single child or be used generically to talk about children in general. The term is also encountered in cross-cultural or linguistic contexts when discussing Russian language and culture.

Transliteration and broader context: In English-language linguistic or ethnographic writing, "rebyonok" is used as a transliteration of the Russian word to refer to a child without translating it, though standard translations use "child" or related terms.