Language / Polish/Ukrainian words similarities [209]

Hi everyone! Being Ukrainian, I can say for sure that Ukrainian language is definitely more close to Polish than Russian to Polish. Though I live in Kyiv (which is mostly Russian-speaking city), but there is no difference for me either to speak/read Russian or Ukrainian. But many Polish words really sound very similar to Ukrainian (much more than to Russian). E.g. "krawat" (hope I spell it correct in Polish) is like Ukrainian "krawatka", meaning is the same, but very similar word in Russian - "krowat' " means... "bed". And there are many other examples.

Here in Ukraine I think everyone understands both Russian and Ukrainian, it is just that historically people in Western Ukraine speak Ukrainian and in Eastern/Southern part they speak Russian. If I come to Lvov and speak Russian there, no one will kill me, the same as I can easily speak Ukrainian in Eastern part of Ukraine. Here in Ukraine the language problem is artificially created by some political entities (sorry for off-topic)...

Personally I understand Polish quite well, at least I can read and mostly understand when someone speaks to me Polish. :) And even try to speak Polish, I'm especially good in numerals.

Language / Polish/Ukrainian words similarities [209]

Pewnie, ze rozumiem :)

No, I haven't spent time neither in the States, nor in UK. Actually, I speak English much worse than write :(

Language / Polish/Ukrainian words similarities [209]

I wrote that Ukrainian is more similar to Polish than Russian to Polish. :)

Of course Ukrainian is similar to Russian too.

But I don't think you have heard many Ukrainian words in Kharkow, because Kharkow is Russian-speaking town (moreover, former governor of Kharkow region proposed to separate several regions including Kharkow from Ukraine and join to Russia when we had revolution here).

There is also an awful mix of Russian and Ukrainian, called "surjik", sounds really awful (though some people who speak surjik are sure they speak Ukrainian). I can speak surjik for fun only.

Language / Polish/Ukrainian words similarities [209]

Well, Ukraine also borders on Romania, but Ukrainian language doesn't have many similarities with Romanian. :)

BTW,


it is just the opposite in fact. :)

Language / Polish/Ukrainian words similarities [209]

Yes, it is Ukrainian way of pronouncing "g", though we have both "g" like Russian in our language and Ukrainian "g" which sounds like "h".

So, what you have heard in Kharkow is neither correct Russian, nor correct Ukrainian.

The thing is that people who move from villages to big towns, they speak Ukrainian, so when they try to speak Russian, it sounds like what you've heard.

As for me, I used to speak normal Russian (without those "g", etc., btw, when I visit Russia, people there wonder I speak Russian without accent :)), but I know Ukrainian very well and speak correct Ukrainian, but use it mostly for work. Though when I visit Western Ukraine I love to speak Ukrainian and to hear good "native" Ukrainian language. BTW, Ukrainian language in Lvov sounds a bit like Polish sometimes, not only similar words, but accent too. Like they say "prosze", etc.

Michal, there are sooo many really nice places here in Ukraine. In Western Ukraine - Lutsk, Lvov, small, but really great city - Kamenets-Podol'skiy... In Central region - Poltava, Northern - Chernigov, Eastern - Slavyanogorsk... Southern - Odessa, also Crimean peninsula... Oops, sorry for offtopic again. Anyway, if you will have possibility to visit one of these cities, you won't regret :)