елха

From Proto-Slavic *olьxa ~ *jelьxa (“alder”). Bulgarian descendants stem from variants with prothetic *j-, which has been subsequently eliminated (except dialectally).

Originally, the word seems to have referred broadly to any deciduous tree or even generally to any arboreal plant. This sense was apparently used in naming the Christmas tree. Since Christmas in Bulgaria occurs during winter, the later is traditionally made of some type of evergreen conifer. Eventually, this caused semantic drift towards coniferous trees. The similarity to (etymologically unrelated) ела́ (elá, “fir”) may have also facilitated the shift. Compare Russian ёлка (jólka, “spruce”) (< *edlъka).

• IPA^(key): [ɛɫˈxa]

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елха́ • (elhá) f (relational adjective елхо́в, diminutive елхи́ца)

1. (dialectal) Alternative form of е́лша (élša, “alder”)
2. decorated tree (typically an evergreen one, e.g. firs or spruces)

   ко́ледна елха́ ― kóledna elhá ― Christmas tree

   новогоди́шна елха́ ― novogodíšna elhá ― New Year's tree

3. (by generalization) conifer (usually fir)

   Synonym: ела́ (elá)

• е́лха (élha) — Strandzha dialects

• че́рна елха́ (čérna elhá, “black alder, Alnus glutinosa”)
• си́ва елха́ (síva elhá, “grey alder, Alnus incana”)
• плани́нска елха́ (planínska elhá, “green alder, Alnus viridis”) (literally: mountain alder)

• Елхово (Elhovo) (toponym)
• елхо́вина (elhóvina, “alder wood”)
• елхо́вник (elhóvnik, “juniper”) (dialectal)

• “елха”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “елха”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “елха”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 493

• леха (leha), хале (hale)