# Serbo-croatian "cvičak" or in Bulgarian "cviček"



## vrubble

A question to Croatian, Serbian and Bulgarian speakers.
I read a book a out the "serbo-croatian" language (it's from the 60's) and there are some words I don't know. One of them is "cvičak" or in Bulgarian "cviček". My book says it's some kind of sour milk but I've never heard about it and couldn't find it on the internet.
How about you? Do you know what this thing is? Have you ever... drunk  it?


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## Panceltic

In Slovenia, *cviček* is the name of a wine from Dolenjska (Lower Carniola). It is quite sour and is made from mixing white and red grapes.


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## vrubble

My books also says there is this word in Slovenian but it should be as well a name of some sour... milk drink. I"ve no idea what's meant with that. Anyway, as far as I know there is no such word in other Slavic languages.


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## Panceltic

The Slovenian Etymological Dictionary (http://fran.si/193/marko-snoj-slovenski-etimoloski-slovar/4219245/cvcek?View=1&Query=cviček) explains *cviček* as formed from the verb *cvikniti, cikniti* (to become sour). It then mentions the Bulgarian word цвик (Slovenian _sirotka_, Polish _serwatka_) so there may be a connection with something sour and milk-derived.  I can imagine the diminutive in Bulgarian could be цвичек.


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## vrubble

Wow, thank you very much! It explains a lot  I have asked my Croatian and Serbian friends and only one of them has ever heard of it


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## Panceltic

You're welcome  Well I suppose this is not a very popular drink.


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## vrubble

Hahah, no  There are many words in this book that aren't in use anymore but I'm always curious when I see something I don't know


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## korisnik

I've only ever heard of _cviček_, the Slovenian wine, and there's an entry for that in the Croatian HJP dictionary. Never heard of _cvičak_, tho.


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## jfkvcl

I can do a little more asking around, but it appears unknown in Bulgaria.


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## DarkChild

Panceltic said:


> The Slovenian Etymological Dictionary (http://fran.si/193/marko-snoj-slovenski-etimoloski-slovar/4219245/cvcek?View=1&Query=cviček) explains *cviček* as formed from the verb *cvikniti, cikniti* (to become sour). It then mentions the Bulgarian word цвик (Slovenian _sirotka_, Polish _serwatka_) so there may be a connection with something sour and milk-derived.  I can imagine the diminutive in Bulgarian could be цвичек.


I've never heard of such a word in Bulgarian but I recognized the Polish serwatka. The Bulgarian word is суроватка (surovatka) and it means whey. The wikipedia page gived цвик in parenthesis next to суроватка, but I've never heard that word before. It sounds awfully strange


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