Not everyone will guess: 10 Ukrainian words with unexpected meaning

The Ukrainian language is rich and melodious, and the volume of words can reach more than a million. At least that's the conclusion linguists have come to after analyzing a modern explanatory dictionary and the Ukrainian Lexicon of the Late 18th and Early 21st Centuries. Of course, if we exclude inflections and outdated terms and consider only distinct words, the figure will decrease significantly.

Linguists told us about interesting Ukrainian words with unexpected meanings. Some of them may even be misleading.

The adjective "vytvOrnyi" can be replaced with the synonyms bizarre, fanciful.

For example:

Стіни у соборі були розписані складними витворними орнаментами.

The walls of the cathedral were painted with bizarre ornaments.

"ZamaIusyty" can be mistaken for "to smear". However, this word means "to put somewhere so that it cannot be found."

"Куди я замаюсила мою пляшку?", – нервував на бабцю дід.

"Where did I hide my bottle?" my grandfather said nervously to my grandmother.

"ZdrAitsia" means a thief, an intruder, a robber.

Зустрів Остап на дорозі якогось здрайця, що почав вимагати у нього гроші.

Ostap met a robber on the road who demanded money from him.

"MErga" is the name given to a strong snowfall followed by wind.

Хіба можна у мерґу їхати в далеку дорогу?

How can you travel a long way in a blizzard?

"NakAslyk" is a bedside table.

Накаслик біля Марійчиного ліжка був завжди захаращений недоїденими бутербродами, чашками і книжками.

Maria's bedside table was always cluttered with half-eaten sandwiches, cups, and books.

"PerekolOshkaty" means to frighten. The word is also used in the sense of "to mutilate, to destroy."

Петро усе село переколошкав своїм криком.

Peter scared the whole village with his shouting.

"SkapArenyi" means poorly made or spoiled.

Реставрація храму була скапарена недобросовісними майстрами.

The restoration of the temple was made by unscrupulous craftsmen.

"TsyzOryk" is an ordinary penknife.

Сашко сидів на пеньку та чистив цизориком зібрані гриби.

Sashko sat on a stump and cleaned the mushrooms he had picked with his penknife.

"CholpOk" or "ShcholpOk" is a mountain top.

Туристи повільно і довго сходили на щолопок Говерли, але зусилля були того варті.

It took tourists a long time to climb Hoverla's peak, but the effort was worth it.

"ShkabarchAty" means to speak very fast and indistinctly.

Тетяну здалеку чутно – завжди з подружками про щось шкабарчить.

You can hear Tetiana from afar - she's always babbling with her friends about something.

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