When I moved to Ukraine, I had to learn a whole new Ukrainian vocabulary. It turned out that I had grown up speaking a Galician diasporic Ukrainian, which used many dialectisms, Polonisms, and archaisms, and which was absent of Russification. To keep track of the differences between the two lexicons, as well as to document the way my family spoke, I compiled an online dictionary with these words.
The most perplexing group of words I collected are those that have completely different meanings in Galician diasporic Ukrainian and standard Ukrainian. These are words that sound similar or identical yet have different meanings, which in linguistics are known as “false friends.”
When I first visited Ukraine in 2000, I recall seeing “піца з овочами” (pizza z ovochamy), which to me meant “pizza with fruit” and was utterly confused. Fortunately, I soon discovered that, no, pizza in Ukraine is not prepared with fruit, but rather “овочі” (ovochi) means “vegetables” and not “fruit,” which was the meaning I grew up with. It is worth noting that due to the similarities between the Galician dialect and Polish, many of the Galician words listed here are actually “true” friends with Polish words.
Several of my Ukrainian diaspora friends have also shared with me the funny reactions they’ve encountered upon using “sklep” upon visiting a store in Ukraine. While in the diaspora this it the common word for “store,” in Ukraine it means “crypt.”
False Friends Between Galician & Standard Ukrainian
Here I’ve collected examples of false friends between Galician and standard Ukrainian. The Ukrainian definition for the diaspora meaning is given in standard Ukrainian. For comparison, I’ve added the Polish word, as many Galician words are similar to Polish.
| Word | In diaspora means: | In standard Ukrainian means: | Polish |
|---|---|---|---|
| склеп | крамниця (store) | гробниця (crypt) | sklep (store) |
| магазин | склад (warehouse) | крамниця (store) | magazyn (warehouse) |
| диван* | килим (rug) | рід великих м’яких меблів (couch) | dywan (rug) |
| oвочі** | фрукти (fruit) | городина (vegetables) | owoce (fruit) |
| одинокий | єдиний (only) | самотній (lonely) | jedynie (only) |
| туш | душ (shower) | туш для вій (mascara) | prysznic tusz (archaic) (shower) |
| плечі | спина (back) | частина тулуба від шиї до руки (shoulders) | plecy (back) |
| припадок | випадок (incident) | приступ (seizure) | przypadek (incident) |
| нашийник | намисто (necklace) | ремінець, що одягається на шию тварини (dog collar) | naszyjnik (necklace) |
| вистава | виставка, експозиція (exhibition) | сценічне видовище (performance) | wystawa (exhibition) |
| грубий | товстий (fat) | некультурний, неввічливий (rude) | gruby (fat) |
| напевно | точно (definitely) | можливо (probably) | na pewno (certainly) |
| спочивати | відпочивати (to rest) | бути мертвим, лежати в могилі (e.g., “here lies”) | odpoczywać (to rest) |
| збудитися | прокидатися (to wake up) | відчувати статевий потяг (to arouse) | obudzić się (to wake up) |
| родичі | батьки (parents) | той, хто перебуває у спорідненості з ким-небудь (relatives) | rodzice (parents) |
| друг/подруга*** | вихователь (виховник) (counselor) | товариш, приятель (friend) | przyjaciel/ przyjaciółka (friend) |
| крісло | стілець (chair) | фотель (arm chair) | krzesło (chair) |
| люстрo does dia have lustra too? | дзеркало (mirror) | люстра (chandelier) | lustro (mirror) |
| тужитися | сумувати (to miss) | напружуватися (to strain) | tęsknić (to miss) |
| дружина | команда (team) | жінка (wife) | drużyna (team) |
| вигідний | зручно (comfortable) | з якого можна одержати якусь вигоду, користь, прибуток (profitable, beneficial) | wygodny (comfortable) |
| катер | застуда/нежить | невелике легке судно (small boat) | katar (runny nose) |
| гранатОвий | темно-синій (navy blue) | прикм. до гранат (adj. pomegranate) | granatowy (navy) |
| знаменито знаменитий | чудово, прекрасно, неперевшено (wonderful, unsurpassed) | славнозвісно (famously, notably) | znakomite |
| краска | колір (color) | фарба, румянець (paint; blush) | kolor (color) |
| черевики | взуття (shoes) | вид невисокого взуття перев. на шнурках або ґудзиках (specific kind of shoe) | obuwie, buty (shoes) |
| плита | платівка / пластинка (phonograph record) | плоский шматок каменю, металу (tile) | płyta (record) |
| перепис | рецерт (recipe) | звернення лікаря до працівників аптек про продаж ліків (prescription; census) | przepis (recipe; prescription) |
| шини**** | колії / рейки (tracks, rails) | гумовий обруч наповненою стисненим повітряні (tires) | opony (tires) |
**In the diaspora, for “friend” we say товариш(ка) (also приятель(ка), коліжанка)
***In the diaspora, for “vegetables” we say ярина
****In the diaspora, for “tires” we say ґуми
Dictionary Definition vs. Actual Usage in Ukraine
Some words have meanings in Ukrainian standard dictionaries that differ from their everyday usage in Ukraine. While the formal definitions may align with the diaspora’s understanding of the language, common usage within Ukraine often diverges. Here are a few examples:
- напевно
While the dictionary includes the meaning “definitely,” in spoken Ukrainian the word is most commonly used to mean “probably.” - спочивати
The dictionary lists “to rest,” “to sleep,” and “to be dead” as possible meanings.” However, in everyday speech, it is never used to mean “rest” or “sleep.” Indeed, I have only come across the word on old graves. - грубий
The dictionary includes the meaning “fat,” but грубий is (somewhat) common only in western Ukraine to mean “fat.” But even in western Ukraine, товстий is more often used to mean “fat.” - збудитися
The dictionary includes the meaning “to wake up,” but in current usage, it more frequently carries the connotation of “to be aroused” in a sexual sense. The context usually clarifies which meaning is intended. Google Translate often renders it as “get excited.” - дружина
The dictionary includes the meaning “team,” but more commonly it is used to mean “wife,” while команда is used to mean “team.” - знаменито / знаменитий
As an adverb, the dictionary has the meaning “wonderful,” but in general this would is more associated with “famously,” with other words being more common to mean “wonderful.”
Same for the adjective — the meaning of “wonderful” is listed as a colloquial term, while “famous” is given as the main definition.
A Few Fun Etymological Facts
Shower
Douche – Душ – Tusz – Туш
Both the Galician туш and standard Ukrainian душ meaning “shower” derive from the French word for shower — douche. In fact, in many European languages the word “shower” derives from French.
Looking at this list, only the Polish word stands out.
| Language | Shower |
|---|---|
| French | douche |
| German | Dusche |
| Italian | doccia |
| Spanish | ducha |
| Swedish | dusch |
| Russian | душ (dush) |
| Ukrainian | душ (dush) |
| Galician Ukrainian | туш (tush) |
| Polish | prysznic, tusz |
| Serbian | туш (tush) |
| Croatian | tuš |
| Slovenian | tuš |
The Polish term prysznic for “shower” is derived from the name of Vincenz Priessnitz, a 19th-century Austrian farmer and pioneer of hydrotherapy. Priessnitz popularized the use of cold water treatments, including showers, as a therapeutic practice. His innovative methods became well-known across Europe, and his name became synonymous with these water-based therapies. Consequently, the term prysznic was adopted in Polish to refer to a shower.
Historically, however, the word tusz was also used in Poland — though today it is considered an archaism. Indeed, most Polish people will think of mascara or stamp ink when they hear this word. Before World War II, both words were used. Lwów (Lviv)-born Polish writer Stanisław Lem often used tusz in the meaning of shower (for example, wziąć tusz — “take a shower”).
Polish tusz meaning shower is borrowed from German Dusche, which comes from the French douche, and Italian doccia. While tusz meaning “ink” or “mascara” is borrowed from German Tusche.
In Galician Ukrainian, туш (tush), like old Polish, was used, and this has been retained in the diaspora. We also use the form “to take a shower” (брати туш), like the Polish usage in this case, rather than current standard Ukrainian usage “to accept a shower” (приймати душ).
Couch & Rug & Sandwich
| Language | Couch |
|---|---|
| French | canape, divan |
| Yiddish | קאַנאַפּע (kanape) |
| German | couch, sofa, kanapee |
| Polish | kanapa |
| Galician Ukrainian | канапа (kanapa) |
| Standard Ukrainian | диван (dyvan) |
| Russian | диван (divan) |
Divan – Dyvan – Dywan
The standard Ukrainian word диван (dyvan), meaning “couch” or “sofa,” and Polish word dywan, meaning “rug” or “carpet,” originates from the Persian word “divan” (دیوان), which originally referred to a collection of writings or a book of poems. In Persian culture, the term evolved to describe a council chamber or a seating area furnished with cushions and carpets. This concept was adopted into Ottoman Turkish as divan, meaning a council or a long, cushioned bench.
The word then spread to various languages, including Ukrainian, where it came to specifically mean “sofa” or “couch.” As the term spread to Polish through Ottoman Turkish influence, it evolved to also have the meaning “rug” or “carpet.” This usage can also be found in the Galician Ukrainian dialect.
BTW, in addition to dywan, in Polish the word kilim is also used to mean “rug.” This is similar in Ukrainian, which has the word килим (kylym), which means rug. Kilim / kylym derive from the Turkish word kilim.
Khānāpā – Canapé – Kanapa – Kanapka
The French words canapé (couch) and canapé (open-faced sandwich) share a common historical origin, both ultimately deriving from the Turkish word khānāpā, which referred to a cushioned bench or divan. This term entered French through contact with the Ottoman Empire.
In French, khānāpā evolved into canapé, initially referring to a small, cushioned seat or sofa, similar to its original Turkish meaning.
In the 19th century, canapé took on a new culinary meaning. Chefs began using small pieces of bread or crackers as a base for various toppings, drawing a metaphorical parallel to the way a sofa cushions its occupants. These bite-sized, open-faced sandwiches became known as canapés.
In Galician Ukrainian (and Polish), the word kanapa (meaning “couch”) and kanapka (meaning “open-faced sandwich” or simply “sandwich”) were derived from the Turkish term, likely through French, reflecting this shared etymology.
Store & Magazine
Sъklepъ – Sklep – Склеп
The Polish word sklep comes from old Polish, which was inherited from Proto-Slavic sъklepъ. Today Polish sklep means “shop” or “store” (establishment that sells goods). It has an obsolete or regional meaning of “cellar” or “vault” (underground storage place) and obsolete meanings “warehouse” and “vault” (masonry structure).
The Ukrainian word sklep was borrowed from Polish sklep and carries the meanings of “vault,” “cellar,” “crypt,” (standard usage) as well as “shop,” “store” (dialecticism).
Makhāzin – Magasin – Magazyn – Magazine
In English, the word “magazine” originally meant a “storehouse,” “granary,” or “cellar.” It entered English through an early French dialect term, magasin, which in turn came from the Arabic word makhzan (plural makhāzin), encompassing these meanings. In military and naval contexts, “magazine” came to specifically denote a storage area for gunpowder or weapons, or a compartment on a warship designated for keeping powder. Eventually, it also referred to both a place where valuable items were stored and the items themselves.
In 1731, the term “magazine” took on a new meaning with the publication (in London) of the first issue of The Gentleman’s Magazine, which was a collection of short stories and articles aimed at general readers. This new sense of “magazine” gained popularity and became the standard term for similar periodicals.
In French, magasin retained its original meaning of “storehouse,” but it also evolved to mean “store,” a usage that was later adopted by Russian as магазин (magazin). The French term for a periodical publication, however, is magazine.
In Ukrainian (outside of Galicia), likely influenced by Russian, the word магазин (magazyn) also came to mean “store.” In Galicia, however, магазин retained its original meaning of “warehouse” until the territory came under russian occupation after World War II.
In Polish, magazyn means “warehouse,” while in German magazin means “military supply depot.”
The terms склеп (sklep) and крамниця (kramnytsia) were traditionally used to mean “store” in Galician Ukrainian, the former reflecting a shared usage with Polish.
Today, in standard Ukrainian, магазин primarily means “store,” with “warehouse” as its secondary meaning.
