земля
zemlya
/zʲɪmˈlʲa/
Definition
The ground beneath your feet, the soil, or the planet Earth. Also used to mean "land" as a place or territory.
Example
Дети сидели на земле и играли.
Show translation
The children sat on the ground and played.
Etymology
From Old Church Slavonic *zemlja*, from Proto-Slavic *zemľa*, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéǵʰōm* ("earth, ground"), the same root that gives Latin *humus* ("soil") and Greek *χθών* (khthṓn, "earth"). The PIE root is also the source of English "humble" (via Latin) and the prefix "geo-" in words like geography.
Cultural note
Земля carries deep cultural weight in Russian life and literature. The phrase *Мать-земля* ("Mother Earth") reflects a centuries-old Slavic reverence for the land as a nurturing, sacred force. During the Soviet era, земля — specifically agricultural land — was a central political concept. Today, the word still resonates emotionally: owning a small plot of land (дача земля) is a deeply held aspiration for many Russian families. Note that земля also means "Earth" the planet, so context matters — *на земле* can mean "on the ground" or "on Earth."