Kosovo

Alternative forms

• Kosova (from Albanian)
• Kosov@ (uncommon; blends the Slavic and Albanian spellings)
• Kossovo (obsolete)

Etymology

Shortened form of Serbo-Croatian Косово поље (“blackbirds’ field”), from косово (kosovo), possessive form of кос (kos, “blackbird”), and поље (polje, “field”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒsəvə/, /ˈkɒsəvəʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔsəˌvoʊ/

Proper noun

Kosovo

2. A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Official name: Republic of Kosovo. Capital and largest city: Pristina. Considered by the Republic of Serbia to be one of its two autonomous provinces.
   • 1999 March 25, “Air Campaign Against Yugoslavia”, in The New York Times‎, New York:

     Yugoslavia’s President, Slobodan Milosevic, has rejected all efforts at meaningful diplomacy and, in violation of his own previous commitments, has ratcheted up his military campaign against the innocent civilians of Kosovo.

   • 2017, Freedom in the world, page 657:

     After Milosevic’s overthrow in October 2000, international pressure on the new authorities in Belgrade to extradict Milosevic for alleged war crimes committed during the Kosovo conflict was intense.

3. One of five administrative districts of the above region as viewed by the Serbian government.

Proper noun

Kosovo

1. Kosovo (A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /koˈsobo/ [koˈso.β̞o]

Proper noun

Kosovo m

1. Kosovo (A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)

Alternative forms

• Cóssova
• Cóssovo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈko.su.βu]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ˈko.so.vo]

• Audio (Valencia):

  (file)

Proper noun

Kosovo m

1. Kosovo (A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)

Proper noun

Kosovo

1. Kosovo (A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkosovo]

Proper noun

Kosovo n (relational adjective kosovský, demonym Kosovan)

1. Kosovo (A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)

Further reading

• “Kosovo”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
• “Kosovo”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Etymology

Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian Ко̏сово/Kȍsovo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɔ.soːˌvoː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ko‧so‧vo

Proper noun

Kosovo n (adjective Kosovaars, demonym Kosovaar m or Kosovaarse f)

1. Kosovo (A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɔsovo/, (rarer also) /ˈkɔzovo/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

der/das Kosovo m or n (proper noun, strong, usually definite, definite genitive des Kosovo or des Kosovos)
Kosovo n (proper noun, genitive Kosovos or (optionally with an article) Kosovo)

1. Kosovo (A partly-recognized country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe)