How to Correctly Say ‘Cloud Scraper’ in Ukrainian: Language Nuances Amidst the Language Revolution
With the onset of large-scale aggression from the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the widespread shift of Ukrainians to daily Ukrainian language use, many citizens began to reconsider the correctness of certain words and their origins.
One term increasingly heard in linguistic circles is ‘Нєбоскрєб,’ a direct calque from Russian that does not conform to modern Ukrainian norms.
To enhance linguistic awareness and avoid Russianisms, experts recommend using the correct Ukrainian term — ‘хмарочос.’ This word describes a tall, multi-story building reaching towards the skies, constructed from modern materials characteristic of American cities.
Architectural landmarks from different countries and eras demonstrate a variety of forms and styles of skyscrapers, which can be confusing, but Ukrainian language provides accurate and proper terminology.Unfortunately, in everyday speech, one can still encounter calques, borrowings, and surzhyk, which undermine our cultural and linguistic authenticity.
Linguists say that many Ukrainians consciously or unconsciously switched to Ukrainian in everyday communication in response to today’s challenges.
This indicates an active movement to preserve national identity through language.
Avoiding Russianisms and surzhyk, as well as acquiring skills to use Ukrainian correctly and culturally, are crucial steps in this process.Many experts suggest practical hacks to help Russian-speaking Ukrainians better master Ukrainian.
One of the most effective is regularly reading Ukrainian dictionaries, listening to Ukrainian radio and TV, and practicing sentence construction.
Transitioning to Ukrainian is not only a linguistic act but also a cultural and civic act that strengthens our sovereignty and unity during these difficult times.Learned linguist from Kherson, Volodymyr Shishkov, discusses how Ukrainians are actively gaining linguistic independence and how this process becomes an essential part of our national identity in his detailed article titled ‘Transitional Age of Language,’ published on ZN.UA.
The article explores psychological and cultural aspects of these language changes and offers practical advice for those wishing to switch fully to Ukrainian while preserving linguistic richness and beauty.