Oblast

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɒblæst/

Definitions

1. A large administrative division or region in Russia and some other former Soviet countries
2. A substantial administrative region within Russia and certain other former Soviet states that is used for governance purposes
3. A distinct administrative area within Russia and various former Soviet republics that serves specific governance roles

Etymology: The Russian word "oblast" carries a literal meaning of "a region ruled over." Its ancestors combine a prefix meaning "over" with a root meaning "rule, power, authority," and the Old Church Slavonic form "oblastĭ" shows the same sense of a territory under someone's command. The word thus describes a place defined by who governs it rather than by its geography. Reconstructed Proto-Slavic forms point to an older compound, "obvolstь," and a related verb meaning "to rule," which confirms that the idea of authority was built into the word from the start. Over the centuries the term passed into Russian as "óblastʹ," meaning "region" or "province." In English the word is a borrowing from Russian, used for the administrative divisions of Russia and several former Soviet republics. Its English use keeps the core idea: an oblast is a unit of government as much as a stretch of land.