zemlje

Zemlje is the plural form of zemlja in several South Slavic languages, including Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, and Slovenian. It primarily means land, earth, or soil, and can also denote a geographic region or the Earth as a planet, depending on context. In everyday usage zemlja refers to ground or soil, while zemlje is used when speaking of multiple lands, territories, or realms.

Etymology and cognates: The term derives from Proto-Slavic zemlja, meaning earth or ground. It has cognates across Slavic languages, such as Russian zemlya, Polish ziemia, and Czech země, reflecting a shared Indo-European heritage.

Usage and nuance: In historical and literary contexts, zemlje often denotes a realm or domain, such as zemlje kraljevine “lands of the kingdom.” In contemporary geography and politics it can refer to sovereign or non-sovereign territories, while in scientific writing zemlja can mean soil or soil-based material.

See also: Zemlja, Earth, Soil.