Not only “puddle” – linguists explained what else “luzha” would be in Ukrainian

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In the Ukrainian language, there are several interesting synonyms for the word “puddle”, which are actively used in literature. Linguists also advise using Ukrainian variants of the phraseology “to sit in a puddle”.

How to correctly translate the word “puddle” in Ukrainian

In general, this term comes from the Indo-European base “luz” ”, which means “black”. Similar words are found in Latvian (luga — swamp), Lithuanian (lugnai), Belarusian (luzhina), and Slovenian (luza).

In the Ukrainian language, there are other words for “puddle”: kalyuzh, kalabanya, kilabatina, bayura, kovbanya, bakai (or bokaya), barlig, toad (or zabarya), toadnik, toadstool, toadstool. Impressive choice, right?

A puddle is a depression in the ground or surface of a road or sidewalk where water collects. Long-lasting puddles can become separate ecosystems where microorganisms, insects, crustaceans, frogs and newts live. In the forests, they serve as a source of water for birds and small animals.

In the literature, authors use different words to denote this phenomenon:

• Asleep, like a pig in a puddle, in its captivity (T. Shevchenko)
• Even the kalabans are standing, it was raining so much. [Hryts] would go out in front of the house, stand near the kalabani, from which the chickens drink water, and he would cluck. (L. Martovych).
• Rotten bayurs (I. Franko).
• Rolling around like a pig in a den (I. Kotlyarevskyi)

How to replace the phraseology “sit in a puddle”

Should we understand the well-known saying “sit in a puddle” or “sit down in a galosh” literally? It describes a situation when a person finds himself in an awkward, funny or unpleasant situation.

It is interesting that this phraseology can be translated literally into Ukrainian without losing its meaning. >get rid of freebies;

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Here are some examples from literature:

• It seemed to me that you, Andron Potapovich , got into a slippery slope, and he didn't want to admit it – laughed Brovarnyk (Stelmakh, Truth and Crime);
• We need to find out where the money is going. – The foreman saw that he had stepped on a slippery slope, and now he turned aside: – The money is all there (B. Grinchenko);
• “I was investigating… Well, I got dressed for my freebies,” thought Myshuk (I. Nechuy-Levytskyi);
• Hom jumped up to his ears, but hit his father in the knees (E. Gutsalo, Parade of Planets);