Moscow has acquired a number of epithets, most referring to its size and preeminent status within the nation: The ''Third Rome'' (), the ''Whitestone One'' (), the ''First Throne'' (), the ''Forty Soroks'' () ("sorok" meaning both "forty, a great many" and "a district or parish" in Old Russian). Moscow is also one of the twelve Hero Cities. The demonym for a Moscow resident is "" (''moskvich'') for male or "ка" (''moskvichka'') for female, rendered in English as ''Muscovite''. The name "Moscow" is abbreviated "MSK" ( in Russian).