камень
kamen'
/ˈkamʲɪnʲ/
Definition
A solid, hard piece of mineral material found in nature; a stone or rock.
Example
Он бросил камень в тихое озеро.
Show translation
He threw a stone into the quiet lake.
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *kamy (genitive *kamene), cognate with Lithuanian akmuõ and Sanskrit अश्मन् (aśman), all from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-mon- ("stone, sharp object"). The expected stem change — кам- in the nominative but камен- in all other cases — is a relic of the ancient n-stem declension class in Proto-Slavic.
Cultural note
Stones carry rich symbolic weight in Russian culture. The proverb «Под лежачий камень вода не течёт» ("Water doesn't flow under a lying stone") is the direct equivalent of "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Камень also features in Russian fairy tales: heroes often encounter a stone at a crossroads (распутье) with an inscription foretelling their fate — a motif called богатырский камень. In modern slang, держать камень за пазухой ("to hold a stone behind one's lapel") means to harbour a hidden grudge.