# All Slavic languages: chewing gum



## Encolpius

Hello, I wonder what you call chewing gum in your language? I can find the translations in dictionaries, but they seem to me being formal, long words, and I' d like to know the (short) spoken forms Thanks a lot. 

*Czech*: žvýkačka

*Slovak*: žuvačka


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## itreius

*Croatian*: žvakača guma, žvakača, žvaka, kauguma
_Guma za žvakanje_ would be used in a more formal context.


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## iobyo

*Macedonian*: џвака, мастика and гума [за џвакање] (the latter is the more formal term).


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## DarkChild

*Bulgarian:* дъвка/ dyvka


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## TriglavNationalPark

*Slovenian:* žvečilni gumi, žvečka, čikgumi


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## Encolpius

DarkChild said:


> *Bulgarian:* дъвка/ dyvka



I wonder what origin words дъвка/дъвч are?


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## BezierCurve

*Polish:* guma [do żucia]


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## Natalisha

*Russian:* жевательная резинка [zhev*a*tel'naja rez*i*nka], жевачка [zhev*a*chka], жвачка [zhv*a*chka].


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## Adnyre

*Ukrainian:* жувальна гумка, жуйка (zhuval'na gumka, zhujka)


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## phosphore

itreius said:


> *Croatian*: žvakača guma, žvakača, žvaka, kauguma
> _Guma za žvakanje_ would be used in a more formal context.


 
Are you sure about "č"?

Serbian: _guma za žvakanje, žvakaća guma_ (formal), _žvaka_ (the only variant in everyday use)

(_žvakaća_ would be understood, but would never be said)


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## DenisBiH

phosphore said:


> Are you sure about "č"?
> 
> Serbian: _guma za žvakanje, žvakaća guma_ (formal), _žvaka_ (the only variant in everyday use)
> 
> (_žvakaća_ would be understood, but would never be said)




I ja bih rekao da je žvakaća, kao i HJP, samo, miješanje/spajanje č i ć u današnjim govorima u BiH i Hrvatskoj mi se čini da možda zaslužuje i jednu zasebnu temu. Miješanje to dvoje (kao i dž i đ), miješanje ije/je i spajanje negacije su glavni problemi koje vidim u bosanskim tekstovima na internetu. Iskreno, uz svu dobru volju, prvo dvoje (ije/je pogotovo) i mene zamisle u nekim slučajevima. Ja lično č i ć u govoru realiziram dosta slično, srbijansko ć mi nasuprot tome djeluje vrlo primjetno "mekše", a -ije-, osim u nekim riječima, uglavnom kao -je:-

Tu "Piši kao što govoriš" definitivno nije slučaj za veliki broj govornika.


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## Encolpius

TriglavNationalPark said:


> *Slovenian:* žvečilni gumi, žvečka, čikgumi



Is it possible to say where does čik- come from, what does it mean?


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## sokol

Encolpius said:


> Is it possible to say where does čik- come from, what does it mean?


Possibly a distortion of English "chewing gum", phonetically (in Slavic ) /čuing gam/? (With "gum" being retained as an influence of either writing or wrong pronunciation of English.)

I cannot think of any other plausible etymology (especially as this has to be a relatively new loan) - but of course I'm only guessing here.


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## TriglavNationalPark

Encolpius said:


> Is it possible to say where does čik- come from, what does it mean?


 
Because "čik" is a slang Slovenian word for a cigarette, I've frequently heard that the term *čikgumi* derives from the fact that when chewing gum first came to the Slovene lands, it was shaped like a cigarette. However, THIS article strongly objects to this etymology. Instead, the author argues that the word derives either from chicle, a traditional ingredient of chewing gum, or from the verb *čikati *= to chew (usually, but not necessarily, tobacco).

Sokol's theory is also interesting.


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## itreius

phosphore said:


> Are you sure about "č"?
> 
> Serbian: _guma za žvakanje, žvakaća guma_ (formal), _žvaka_ (the only variant in everyday use)
> 
> (_žvakaća_ would be understood, but would never be said)


To be honest, I'm not sure why I wrote "č" and not "ć". 
Must've been a typo because I even checked HJP beforehand.


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## Duya

itreius said:


> To be honest, I'm not sure why I wrote "č" and not "ć".
> Must've been a typo because I even checked HJP beforehand.


I thought it was consequence of your Kajkavian background;  the č/ć distinction is absent in Kajkavian, as far as I know.


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## sokol

TriglavNationalPark said:


> Because "čik" is a slang Slovenian word for a cigarette, I've frequently heard that the term *čikgumi* derives from the fact that when chewing gum first came to the Slovene lands, it was shaped like a cigarette. However, THIS article strongly objects to this etymology. Instead, the author argues that the word derives either from chicle, a traditional ingredient of chewing gum, or from the verb *čikati *= to chew (usually, but not necessarily, tobacco).


I didn't dare to try and relate to "čik" (which is "Tschik" in Austrian German and seems to be a loan), but with the verb "čikati" (of which I didn't know) this indeed could be a good explanation too.


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