муравей

From Proto-Slavic *morvъ, from Proto-Indo-European *morwiH-.

• IPA^(key): [mʊrɐˈvʲej]

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мураве́й • (muravéj) m anim or m inan (genitive муравья́, nominative plural муравьи́, genitive plural муравьёв)

1. ant
2. (colloquial, humorous, animate or inanimate) a special motor scooter with three wheels and a rear cargo area made in the USSR between 1959 and 1995 in Tula, officially capitalised - Муравей, some models were given different names: Турист, Тулица, the first model's name was Ту́ла (Túla).
   • 1996, Valentin Kononov, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     И пока́ добря́га Сёмка спал, я три ре́йса на «муравье́» сде́лал.

     I poká dobrjága Sjómka spal, ja tri réjsa na “muravʹjé” sdélal.

     And while the good Syomka slept, I made three trips on my "ant".

   • 1996, Moskva:

     Дак всё ж перело́мано. Он же на «муравье́» с грузовико́м столкну́лся.

     Dak vsjó ž perelómano. On že na “muravʹjé” s gruzovikóm stolknúlsja.

     Why, everything is shattered. You see, his "ant" has collided with a truck.

   • 2005, William Gibson, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     А мо́жет, э́то бы́ли сотру́дники «Си́него муравья́»?

     A móžet, éto býli sotrúdniki “Sínevo muravʹjá”?

     Or maybe they were officers from the "Blue ant"?

• As the name of the motor scooter, the term is often written in lower case as a friendly, jocular term. It's also often used as an animate noun like an "ant" (insect) (insects are animate nouns in Russian when they are used in the direct sense).

• мура́шка (muráška)
• мураве́йник (muravéjnik)
• муравьи́ный (muravʹínyj)