прока́за
prokázafeminine
The English word leprosy is translated into Russian as прока́за (prokáza) or ле́пра.
Meaning: infectious disease caused by M. leprae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| прока́за | prokáza | feminine |
| ле́пра | lépra | feminine |
Both terms refer to the infectious disease caused by M. leprae.
Which one should you use?
прока́за is the more common, everyday word for leprosy. In contrast, ле́пра is used primarily in medical, scientific or formal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective form derived from прока́за is прока́зный.
How do you pronounce it?
prokáza
Did you know?
- In Russian, the adjective прока́зный has evolved to mean 'mischievous' or 'naughty' when describing a child, distancing itself from the medical horror of the disease.
- The word ле́пра is a direct loanword from Greek, which is why it feels much more 'foreign' and academic to a Russian ear than the native-sounding прока́за.
- In old Russian literature, a person suffering from прока́за was often portrayed through heavy religious symbolism, often implying a divine trial or punishment.
Examples in context
- Учёные изучают причины, по которым возникает прока́за.Uchyonyye izuchayut prichiny, po kotorym voznikayet prokáza.Scientists are studying the causes of why leprosy arises.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leprosy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
