What Do You Call a Man Who Seeks Prostitutes in Ukrainian? A Linguistic Deep Dive

Current Issues in Ukrainian Vocabulary

According to Главком: The 'Language Question' column on Glavcom, led by philologist Olga Vasylieva, continues to explore pressing topics in Ukrainian lexicon. In the latest edition, the focus is on masculine forms of words like 'prostitute,' 'slut,' 'hussy,' and 'whore,' alongside answers to ten reader questions about stress, spelling, and stylistic nuances in Ukrainian.

When addressing the query about masculine counterparts, Vasylieva explained that a direct masculine form for 'poviya' (prostitute) cannot be created. However, the dictionary by Ahatanhel Krymsky records the terms 'prostitutnyk' and 'khvoindnyk.' The word 'khvoinda' is of common gender, as noted in the Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language (SUM-11). For the word 'kurva' (whore), possible masculine forms include:

• kurvii
• kurval
• kurvar
• kurvach
• kurvak

Notably, 'kurval' is recorded in the 1893-1898 dictionary by Umanets and Spilka. Additionally, 'shlonder' is a neologism.

Exploring Linguistic Subtleties

In the Galician dialect, 'bakhur' means 'little boy,' while in standard literary Ukrainian it denotes 'a debauched person.' In Hrinchenko's dictionary, 'khabalytsia' is defined as 'a coquette, a woman fond of romantic intrigues, a concubine,' and 'khabal' as 'a lover, a womanizer.' Regarding the word 'kharyty,' Vasylieva noted it is a vulgarism derived from a Romani term. Also, in SUM-20, the word 'distalo' is listed in its tenth sense as colloquial.

The philologist also highlighted stress patterns: the plural of 'pani' (madam) is given as 'páni' in the Dictionary of the Language Information Fund of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. However, Oleksandr Avramenko insists on the stress 'paní' to distinguish the plural. For the words 'perlovyi' and 'perlynnyi,' Vasylieva stated they both mean 'made of pearls,' while 'perlynovyi' does not exist. As for the term 'velikan,' it is not lexicographically established in Ukrainian, though Hrinchenko's dictionary lists the adjective 'velikanskyi.'

Discussing tautology and pleonasm, Vasylieva explained that tautology involves root-based redundancy, whereas pleonasm involves different roots. She also emphasized that 'hratysia' is not a Russianism; in SUM-20, it is listed as synonymous with 'hraty.' Vasylieva pointed out the erroneous use of 'vyiniatok' in modern Ukrainian, even though it appears in dictionaries by Krymsky and Holoskevych. In Hrinchenko's dictionary, 'polotentse' does not refer to a cloth for drying the body; instead, 'rushnyk-utyrach' is used for that purpose.

The discussion also covered translations of Russian words: 'izderzhki' translates to 'vtraty i vytraty' (losses and expenses), 'odutlovatyi' to 'odutlyi' (puffy), and 'obryuzgshy' to 'obrezkyi' (bloated).

Olga Vasylieva concluded: 'Let’s study the language together, speak and write correctly!'

This edition of the 'Language Question' column continues the vital tradition of examining linguistic nuances in Ukrainian, a topic especially relevant amid ongoing language shifts and external influences. By engaging readers in discussion, the column enriches the linguistic environment and boosts language awareness in society. Such initiatives are crucial for preserving and developing the richness of the Ukrainian language.

As the exploration of Ukrainian vocabulary continues, understanding the nuances of language becomes crucial. For instance, while discussing the masculine forms of certain words, one might also find it interesting to delve into related linguistic distinctions. In a recent piece, a linguist clarifies the differences between similar verbs, shedding light on their unique usages and contexts. To learn more about these subtle variations, check out this insightful analysis on the distinctions between 'rozv'yazuvaty' and 'vyrishuvaty'.