Etymology

From melns ‎(“black”) +‎ kalns ‎(“mountain”), following the model of other languages, e.g., Italian Montenegro (< monte ‎(“mountain”) and negro ‎(“black”), whence English Montenegro), Russian Черногория ‎(Černogórija) (< чёрный ‎(čórnyj, “black”) and гора ‎(gorá, “mountain”)), Albanian Mali i Zi ‎(“black mountain”), all basically translations of Serbo-Croatian Црна Гора ‎(Crna Gora, “Black Mountain”), a term that originally referred to Mt. Lovćen, and later, by extension, to the entire region, province, now independent country, of Montenegro.

Pronunciation