How to Correctly Say ‘Thick’ and ‘Slim’ in Ukrainian: A Language Without Surzhyk
In the contemporary Ukrainian linguistic landscape, especially amidst widespread efforts to affirm national identity and distinguish from the Russian-speaking multicultural environment, there arises an important question about the proper and appropriate usage of words that describe human physical traits. Specifically, it concerns colloquial terms used to refer to people with different body types—namely, 'худишка' (slim person) and 'товстушка' (fat person). Given the active language policies and Ukrainians’ aspiration to switch fully to Ukrainian, it becomes crucial to understand which words convey these meanings correctly without compromising stylistic standards or linguistic culture. Language expert Olga Vasylieva, in conversation with 'Hlavkom', explained that in older Ukrainian dictionaries such as those by Umanets and Spilka, Hrinchenko, Nikovskiy, and Izyumov, there are variants like 'товстуля' and 'товстушка' that have historically served to denote individuals with larger body sizes. Meanwhile, the word 'худишка' in the modern normative lexicon is reflected in the 'Russian-Ukrainian Folk Contemporary Dictionary' (2009), offering synonyms such as 'товстунка і худинка', 'товстуля і худуля', 'товстячка і худячка'. It is important to note that the term 'худинка' in Hrinchenko’s dictionary refers to a skinny or emaciated animal, making its use to describe a person inaccurate and potentially confusing. The linguist emphasized that the more stylistically suitable and accepted options are 'товстуля' and 'худуля' ('худуля' is a modern word formed based on 'товстуля'). Regarding colloquial hacks for Russian-speaking Ukrainians seeking to switch to Ukrainian, there are numerous methods available; many who wanted to do so have long adopted them, although not always successfully. Sociologists observe that amid Russia's military aggression, many Ukrainians consciously began speaking Ukrainian more frequently. However, experts warn that once the military threat diminishes, many of these language enthusiasts might revert back to Russian. Additionally, some Ukrainian speakers tend to use the official language only in public settings, choosing their native language in everyday conversations. For more insights on linguistic transition and the evolving Ukrainian language identity during wartime, read Volodymyr Shishkov’s article 'Transitional Age of Language' on ZN.UA.