царевица

Ultimately derived from цар (car, “king”). According to the Institute for Bulgarian Language, there are two possible explanations:

• the word reflects the plant's origin from Цариград (Istanbul), as it was planted at the king's command;
• the less likely explanation is that the word is descriptive of the maize plant itself - a tall, "kingly" one.

By surface analysis, ца́рев (cárev) +‎ -ица (-ica).

• IPA^(key): [ˈt͡sarɛvit͡sɐ]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -arɛvit͡sɐ
• Syllabification^(key): ца‧ре‧ви‧ца

ца́ревица • (cárevica) f (relational adjective ца́ревичен, diminutive ца́ревичка)

2. (uncountable) maize, corn (any plant of the genus Zea)

   Synonym: кукуру́з (kukurúz) (colloquial)

   В свето́вен план о́бщото произво́дство на ца́ревица надхвъ́рля това́ на пшени́цата и ори́за.

   V svetóven plan óbštoto proizvódstvo na cárevica nadhvǎ́rlja tová na pšenícata i oríza.

   On a global scale, total production of maize exceeds that of wheat and rice.

4. (countable) maize, corn (an ear of corn, especially sweet corn)

   сла́дка ца́ревица ― sládka cárevica ― sweetcorn

   Ца́ревицата е сред на́й-люби́мите храни́ на бъ́лгарина, осо́бено през ля́тото.

   Cárevicata e sred náj-ljubímite hraní na bǎ́lgarina, osóbeno prez ljátoto.

   Corn is among the most beloved foods of Bulgarians, especially during summer.

• мле́чна ца́ревица (mléčna cárevica, “sweet corn”)
• сла́дка ца́ревица (sládka cárevica, “sweet corn”)

• “царевица”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “царевица”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• “Каква е етимологията на думата царевица? [What is the etymology of the word царевица?]”, in Институт за български език [Institute for Bulgarian Language]‎^[1] (in Bulgarian), 29 December 2017, retrieved 5 August 2023