macocha

See also: macochą

Polish

Alternative forms

• macecha (Central Greater Poland, Poznań, Northern Greater Poland, Eastern Greater Poland)
• macycha (Central Greater Poland)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr

Proto-Balto-Slavic *mā́ˀtē

Proto-Slavic *màti

Proto-Slavic *-jexa

Proto-Slavic *maťexa

Polish macocha

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *maťexa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈt͡sɔ.xa/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔxa
• Syllabification: ma‧co‧cha

Noun

macocha f (diminutive macoszka)

1. stepmother

Declension

Declension of macocha

	singular	plural
nominative	macocha	macochy
genitive	macochy	macoch
dative	macosze	macochom
accusative	macochę	macochy
instrumental	macochą	macochami
locative	macosze	macochach
vocative	macocho	macochy

Coordinate terms

Polish family terms

rodzina (“family”)		Male	Female	Neutral
parent		ojciec (“father”) nursery: tata	matka (“mother”) nursery: mama	rodzic (“parent”)
grandparent		dziadek (“grandfather”)	babcia (“grandmother”)	prarodzic (“grandparent”)
sibling		brat (“brother”)	siostra (“sister”)	rodzeństwo (“siblings”)
cousin		kuzyn (“male cousin”)	kuzynka (“female cousin”)	–
child		syn (“son”)	córka (“daughter”)	dziecko (“child”)
grandchild		wnuk (“grandson”)	wnuczka (“granddaughter”)	wnuczę (“grandchild”)
parent's sibling	paternal	stryj (“paternal uncle”)	ciotka (“aunt”)	–
	maternal	wuj (“maternal uncle”)		–
sibling's child	fraternal	bratanek (“fraternal nephew”)	bratanica (“fraternal niece”)	–
	sororal	siostrzeniec (“sororal nephew”)	siostrzenica (“sororal niece”)	–
spouse		mąż (“husband”)	żona (“wife”)	–
spouse's parent	marital	świekier (“marital father-in-law”)	świekra (“marital mother-in-law”)	–
	uxorial	teść (“uxorial father-in-law”)	teściowa (“uxorial mother-in-law”)	–
child's spouse		zięć (“son-in-law”)	synowa (“daughter-in-law”)	–
sibling's spouse		szwagier (“brother-in-law”)	bratowa (“sibilar ister-in-law”)	–
spouse's sibling			szwagierka (“sister-in-law”)	–
stepparent		ojczym (“stepfather”)	macocha (“stepmother”)	–
stepchild		pasierb (“stepson”)	pasierbica (“stepdaughter”)	–

Derived terms

• po macoszemu

Further reading

• “macocha”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[1] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “macocha”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[2] (in Polish)

Upper Sorbian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr

Proto-Balto-Slavic *mā́ˀtē

Proto-Slavic *màti

Proto-Slavic *-jexa

Proto-Slavic *màťexa

Upper Sorbian macocha

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *màťexa. Cognate with Lower Sorbian macocha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.t͡sɔ.xa/
• Rhymes: -at͡sɔxa
• Syllabification: ma‧co‧cha

Noun

macocha f (relational adjective macošny or (obsolete) macošiny, diminutive macoška)

1. (derogatory) stepmother

   Synonyms: druha mać, přirodna mać

   • 1962, Pawoł Nedo, Bajkarjo hercy a kantorki: zawod do serbskeho ludoweho basnistwa‎^[3], Serbski Pedagogiski Institut, page 157:

     […] to su pola nas chodźi burscy synojo, haj "hłupakojo" wowčerjo, pastyrjo, dušne holčki, wandrowscy, wusłuženi wojacy, kotryž ze swojimi realnymi abo magiskimi pomocnikami přećiwo złemu w podobje złych kralow, kuzłarjow, macochow abo paliwakow wojuja.

     […] in our culture, these are wandering peasant sons, indeed "fools," shepherds, herdsmen, good girls, journeymen, retired soldiers, who fight with their real or magical helpers against evil in the form of evil kings, sorcerers, stepmothers or lindworms.

Declension

Declension of macocha (feminine velar stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	macocha	macoše	macochi
genitive	macochi	macochow	macochow
dative	macoše	macochomaj	macocham
accusative	macochu	macoše	macochi
instrumental	macochu	macochomaj	macochami
locative	macoše	macochomaj	macochach
vocative	macocha	macoše	macochi

Derived terms

verbs

• macošić pf

Related terms

adverbs

• macošnje

Further reading

• Křesćan Pful, editor (1866), “macocha”, in Łužiski serbski słownik / Lausitzisch Wendisches Wörterbuch‎^[4] (in German), Budyšin: Maćica Serbska, page 349
• “macocha”, in Mudra corpus [Upper Sorbian–Czech dictionary] (in Czech), 2024–2026
• “macocha” in Soblex