лодыжка ankle

Длинная юбка закрывала её лодыжки. The long skirt covered her ankles.

Semantics

This entry is concerned with the word лодыжка referring to the slender part of the leg just above the foot (human only). For distinctions between the word лодыжка and its synonym щиколотка, see Lexical Relationships: Synonyms.

Morphology

лодыжка SS (е) f.in.noun

Syntax

Syntactic actants

Actant 1: whose ankle it is
(a) Genitive
(b) Possessive
Лодыжки Маши были закрыты. Masha's ankles were covered.
Он смотрел на её узкие лодыжки. He looked at her narrow ankles.
NB When the word лодыжка functions as a subject and does not have a descriptive modifier, the construction лодыжка у + Genitive is often preferred to (a) and (b), above:
Лодыжки у Маши были узкие, изящные. Masha had slender, graceful ankles.

Restrictive modifiers

(a) adjectival modifier
(b) noun phrase: Adj + Genitive of нога
(c) prepositional phrase: на + Adj + Prepositional of нога
NB Note that (a) is more common than (b) or (c).
левая/правая лодыжка the left/right ankle
Правая лодыжка у Маши была расцарапана. Masha's right ankle was scratched.
лодыжка левой/правой ноги the left/right ankle
лодыжка на левой/правой ноге the left/right ankle

Lexical Relationships

Synonyms

щиколотка ankle
NB The words щиколотка "ankle" and лодыжка "ankle" are not always interchangeable. The word щиколотка is often used in expressions which indicate length: юбка по щиколотку "a skirt down to one's ankles," выше щиколотки "above the ankle," ниже щиколотки "below the ankle." The word лодыжка is not used in these expressions. With words denoting positive attributes such as изящная, точёная, сухая, the word лодыжка is more likely to be used.
щиколка Substandard ankle

Diminutives

лодыжечка ankle

What it is a part of

нога leg
лодыжка левой ноги the left ankle

Size and shape; aesthetics

тонкая лодыжка a slim ankle
узкая лодыжка a narrow ankle
сухая лодыжка a bony ankle
изящная лодыжка an elegant ankle
точёная лодыжка an exquisite ankle

Medical conditions; sustaining injuries

распухать/распухнуть: у Ng лодыжкаn распухла N's ankle is swollen
распухшая лодыжка a swollen ankle
ломать/сломать Nd/(себеd) ногуa в лодыжкеp to break N's/one's ankle
NB Note that the word лодыжка is not used to refer to twisting or spraining an ankle. The word нога is used instead:
подвернуть ногу; вывихнуть ногу to twist an ankle
растянуть ногу to sprain an ankle

Sample texts

Мяч больно ударил его по лодыжке. The ball hit his ankle painfully.
Длинная юбка закрывала её лодыжки. The long skirt covered her ankles.