zemlju

Zemlju is the accusative singular form of zemlja in Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian. The word denotes earth, soil, land, or a territory, and can refer to both the physical ground and a broader sense of homeland or country.

Etymology and range: Zemlja derives from Proto-Slavic *zemlja and is cognate with other Slavic terms for ground, such as Russian zemlya, Polish ziemia, Czech země, and Slovenian zemlja. In everyday use, zemlja can refer to the planet Earth in a broad sense, to cultivated land, or to a region or nation as a political or geographical entity.

Grammatical notes and usage: Zemlju is the direct object form in these languages; other cases include zemlja (nominative), zemlje (genitive), zemlji (dative/locative), and zemljom (instrumental). The word appears in literature, geography, ecology, and discussions of heritage and identity, and it is often employed in phrases about land and homeland.

See also: zemlja, zemljopis, zemljanin.