# cheese



## raptor

Hi! How do you say 'cheese' in your language?

I have so far:

English: cheese
French: fromage
Spanish: queso
German: Käse

From internet translators:

Italian: fromaggio
Portuguese: quiejo
Dutch: kaas
Norwegian: ost
Russian: сыр
Greek: τυρί

Could you also post an approximate pronunciation please?
By the way, how do you pronounce cheese in Russian? Like English 'sir'? 

Thanks!


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## Outsider

Slight correction: 


raptor said:


> Portuguese: qu*ei*jo


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## .Jordi.

Catalan: formatge
Polish: ser (suppose that it is pronounced in the same way as in Russian Language, for me it sounds more like "ser" en castellano que "sir" en inglés)


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## DrWatson

Finnish: *juusto*
Estonian: *juust*
Hungarian: *sajt*
Swedish: *ost*


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## Scherle

Tagalog:keso/queso
(Dialect)
Pampango:kesu (as per may co-worker)
Chavacano:cheese/queso

German:Käse
Russian:сыр
from http://translation2.paralink.com/


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## Nizo

In Esperanto:  _fromaĝo_.


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## Montesacro

raptor said:


> From internet translators:
> 
> Italian: fromaggio


 
Wrong: in Italian it is _formaggio_, or _cacio _(the latter less used).


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## raptor

So:



> Catalan: formatge
> Chavacano:cheese/queso
> Dutch: kaas
> English: cheese
> Esperanto: fromaĝo
> Estonian: juust
> Finnish: juusto
> French: fromage
> German: Käse
> Greek: τυρί
> Hungarian: sajt
> Italian: formaggio
> Norwegian: ost
> Pampango: kesu
> Polish: ser
> Portuguese: quiejo
> Russian: сыр
> Spanish: queso
> Swedish: ost
> Tagalog: keso/queso


 
Any (more) from the Middle East, Asia, or Native American languages?

Thanks!


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## Flaminius

Hebrew:
גבינה — gvina


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## SerinusCanaria3075

Bulgarian: *сирене* [sìrene]_ or_ *кашкавал* [kaškavàl]
Croatian / Serbian: *sir* / *сир*.
Czech: *sýr* (the _ý_ sounds like two _i_'s)
Romanian: *brânză* (the _â_ is neutral, something like the _i _in _Kevin_)
Sardinian: *casu* (from Latin _caseus_)



raptor said:


> By the way, how do you pronounce cheese in Russian? Like English 'sir'?


I think the _r_ in "сыр" is rolled (like a small growl), like in Spanish "cerro". With that in mind it should sound something like _"sirr"._
The Ukrainian "сир" should sound very similar as well.

The "i" sounds like in Spanish in any case.


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## ukuca

In Turkish: *peynir*


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## robbie_SWE

SerinusCanaria3075 said:


> Bulgarian: *сирене* [sìrene]_ or_ *кашкавал* [kaškavàl]
> Croatian / Serbian: *sir* / *сир*.
> Czech: *sýr* (the _ý_ sounds like two _i_'s)
> Romanian: *brânză* (the _â_ is neutral, something like the _i _in _Kevin_)
> Sardinian: *casu* (from Latin _caseus_)
> 
> 
> I think the _r_ in "сыр" is rolled (like a small growl), like in Spanish "cerro". With that in mind it should sound something like _"sirr"._
> The Ukrainian "сир" should sound very similar as well.
> 
> The "i" sounds like in Spanish in any case.


 
Sorry SerinusCanaria3075, but *brânză *is only feta cheese. 

The everyday word for "cheese" in Romanian is *caş *(< Lat. _caseus_) and *caşcaval *(< Tur. _kaşkaval _and related to the regional Italian form _cacio cavallo_). 

 robbie


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## jazyk

If brânză is not cheese, then something must be wrong with Wikipedia, this dictionary and even Dex.


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## robbie_SWE

jazyk said:


> If brânză is not cheese, then something must be wrong with Wikipedia, this dictionary and even Dex.


 
No, no that's not what I meant...*brânză *is cheese Jazyk, but only a type of cheese (where I come from it's only the white cheese made from cow's, sheep's milk etc.). 

The word *caş* and *caşcaval *are for what I know collective words for "cheese". 

 robbie


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## vikicka

Macedonian: сирење
Serbian: sir
Albanian: djathë 
Bulgarian:сирене


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## jazyk

> No, no that's not what I meant...*brânză *is cheese Jazyk, but only a type of cheese (*where I come from it's only the white cheese made from cow's, sheep's milk etc.*).


And that's the one we want. I don't understand this _only_.


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## robbie_SWE

jazyk said:


> And that's the one we want. I don't understand this _only_.


 
In other words feta cheese and I don't think that's the word we want. 

 robbie


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## Blue Butterflies

Oh, this *is *interesting!  -- And I do hope I'll get it right...

The dictionary says *cheese = brânză*.

Robbie says it's *caş* or *caşcaval*.
(caş is definitely a very specific type of cheese, so that one isn't it)

We do use "brânză" as a general word, meaning "cheese." But:
usually, when you say cheese, many people will think of something looking like this: link. And the 'general' word for that yellow-ish, hard cheese is indeed *caşcaval*, like Robbie said.
 Romanians used to have only very few types of cheese, mostly the white one, called "*telemea*", very much like feta cheese (only not pasteurised), so the general word _brânză_ will be understood by most Romanians as that kind.  Furthermore, some translators, if they feel that the word cheese in their text refers to, let's say, Swiss cheese, thay will probably translate it as "caşcaval."
==> in everyday usage, brânză is the white stuff, caşcaval is the yellow stuff.

But (again...) that's all a matter of usage. *Brânză is the general word*, and it definitely _includes _the meanings of "caşcaval."


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## Montesacro

robbie_SWE said:


> The everyday word for "cheese" in Romanian is *caş *(< Lat. _caseus_) and *caşcaval *(< Tur. _kaşkaval _and related to the regional Italian form _cacio cavallo_).
> 
> robbie


 
Nowhere in Italy is _caciocavallo_ a general term for cheese.
In fact it is a specific type of cheese made in southern Italy from cow's milk (or buffalo's milk), yellowish and pear-shaped. It should be smoked as well.

The word _cavallo_ ("horse") apparently can be explained by the way _caciocavallo_ is generally kept before consumption: two pear-shaped items tied together with a string hanging from a horizontal pole or stick (like two legs of a man on horseback ).


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## raptor

> We do use "brânză" as a general word, meaning "cheese." But:
> 
> usually, when you say cheese, many people will think of something looking like this: link. And the 'general' word for that yellow-ish, hard cheese is indeed *caşcaval*, like Robbie said.
> Romanians used to have only very few types of cheese, mostly the white one, called "*telemea*", very much like feta cheese (only not pasteurised), so the general word _brânză_ will be understood by most Romanians as that kind. Furthermore, some translators, if they feel that the word cheese in their text refers to, let's say, Swiss cheese, thay will probably translate it as "caşcaval."
> ==> in everyday usage, brânză is the white stuff, caşcaval is the yellow stuff.


 
Interesting! So 
Romanian: caşcaval (yellow), telemea, brânză (white), brânză (general) ?

Do other languages listed here have different names for cheeses (not including the regional types of cheese though ) ? I don't think we do in English; maybe mozerella is used for white, cheddar for yellow, and marble for mixed, but I don't know how general this usage is... I just say cheese  or specifically the regional type (mozerella, havarti, blue, feta, swiss, brie, etc).


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## avok

Hmmm I love cheese.

Turkish cheese is not common in Europe (I guess, they have it in Greece, Bulgaria, ex.Yugoslavia, Romania) : Peynir  Actually it is called "beyaz peynir": "white cheese" just like telemea in Romania posted by Blue Butterflies.

And there is also kaşar (kaşar peyniri) 

I love all kind of cheese except for some French cheese that smells like sheep


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## OldAvatar

Romanian word for _cheese _is definitely *brânză.

C**aşcaval *is the word for _yellow cheese_ while *caş *and *urdă *are different types of non-salted cheese; Romanians call them „sweet cheese” (*brânză dulce*, my preferate ). *Telemea *is a sort of salted cheese.

There are a lot of dairy product's names in Romanian, probably due to the fact that almost all of ancient Romanians were shepherds and for many Romanians, cheese is still a massive part of every day food. All milk products which involve cheese are called _brânzeturi_.

Regarding the etymology of *brânză*, you can find it among the so-called „words of Dacian origin”. I feel a slight wave of nationalism on that list and I personnaly think that the word *brânză *is rather coming from Latin _prandium _(_*lunch*_, Romanian *prânz*) than from a Dacian word.


Best regards,
OA

PS: Turkish cheese is not known in Romanian. Actually, in my oppinion, there is little knowledge of foreign cheese sortiments here.


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## avok

OldAvatar said:


> PS: Turkish cheese is not known in Romanian. Actually, in my oppinion, there is little knowledge of foreign cheese sortiments here.


 
But the picture sent by Blue Butterflies under the name telemea looks like the typical Turkish cheese which is beyaz peynir (white cheese)


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## OldAvatar

avok said:


> But the picture sent by Blue Butterflies under the name telemea looks like the typical Turkish cheese which is beyaz peynir (white cheese)




That's not typical Turkish cheese. 
That's just cheese. 

I know _telemea _may have Turkish origin, as some of the dictionaries say (however, I'm not sure about that, it could be of Cumanic origin), but so does _sarmale_, for example, but that doesn't make it traditional Turkish food.


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## avok

I don't think it is "just cheese", you cannot find this kind of cheese in "Western Europe". We call it "Beyaz Peynir" (white cheese) or "Edirne Peyniri" (cheese of Adrianople).

The typical European cheese would be this for me. I don't know the etymology of the word telemea.

I looked at Wikipedia and it turns out that this kind of cheese is known as Feta in Greece and I quote from the same page.



> Similar white brined cheeses (often called 'white cheese' in the various languages) are found in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea.


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## Mahaodeh

In Arabic it's جبنة Jibna


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## OldAvatar

avok said:


> The typical European cheese would be this for me. I don't know the etymology of the word telemea.



According to this guy, _teleme _is a Western cheese and this one is produced in Northern California . They say that the product is of Greek origin.
However, since 2005, _telemea _is a Protected designation of origin product of Romania and there are 8 types of variations, regarding to the zone it's made.


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## avok

Yes, but this does not change the fact that "white cheese" originated in the eastern Mediterranean. 



> *Wikipedia*
> 
> Feta cheese is first recorded in the Byzantine Empire, under the name πρόσφατος (_prósphatos_, "recent", _i.e._ fresh), and was associated specifically with Crete.


 
By the way, what is the etymology of Telemea? You said it would be Turkic?


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## blue_jewel

leigh1802 said:


> Tagalog:keso/queso
> (Dialect)
> Pampango:kesu (as per may co-worker)
> Chavacano:cheese/queso
> 
> German:Käse
> Russian:сыр


 

Additional:


For white cheese in Tagalog its:* Keso*(ng) *Puti*. 

I Love Cheese!


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## OldAvatar

avok said:


> By the way, what is the etymology of Telemea? You said it would be Turkic?



DEX'98 says that it comes from Turkish _teleme. _I have no idea what that means. However, feel free to ask on Romanian forum, so we won't monopolize this thread. Maybe someonelse has better knowledge than I do and then you'll have a better answer.


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## Orreaga

*Basque*: gazta  (pronounced "gasta")
*Navajo*: géeso    (pronounced "kay-so" with falling pitch on "ay")


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## MarX

Indonesian:

*kèju*, a loanword from Portuguese.


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## raptor

> Arabic: جبنة
> Basque: gazta
> Catalan: formatge
> Chavacano:cheese/queso
> Dutch: kaas
> English: (white/orange/marble/blue/soft, etc) cheese
> Esperanto: fromaĝo
> Estonian: juust
> Finnish: juusto
> French: fromage
> German: Käse
> Greek: τυρί
> Hungarian: sajt
> Indonesian: kèju
> Italian: formaggio
> Navajo: géeso
> Norwegian: ost
> Pampango: kesu
> Polish: ser
> Portuguese: quiejo
> Romanian: brânză; caşcaval(yellow); caş/urdă (non-salted); telemea (salted)
> Russian: сыр
> Spanish: queso
> Swedish: ost
> Tagalog: keso/queso; keso(ng) puti (white cheese)


 
For Navajo, is it just coincidence or a loanword that they are so similar? Or did they have cows/goats, etc before Europeans came over with their words for cheese?



> *Caşcaval *is the word for _yellow cheese_ while *caş *and *urdă *are different types of non-salted cheese; Romanians call them „sweet cheese” (*brânză dulce*, my preferate ). *Telemea *is a sort of salted cheese.


 
I havent heard of salted cheese , sounds like it would have a flavour all its own!


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## Orreaga

raptor said:


> For Navajo, is it just coincidence or a loanword that they are so similar? Or did they have cows/goats, etc before Europeans came over with their words for cheese?


The Spanish introduced livestock (and _*queso*_) to the Navajo in the 16th century, which soon became integral to the Navajo culture and economy. Yes, the Navajo word _*géeso*_ is borrowed from Spanish. Similarly, the Navajo _*béeso*_, "money", comes from Spanish _*peso*_. In Navajo, _*g*_ and _*b*_ are pronounced as the unaspirated _*qu*_ and _*p*_ of Spanish


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## Christo Tamarin

robbie_SWE said:


> Sorry SerinusCanaria3075, but *brânză *is only feta cheese.
> 
> The everyday word for "cheese" in Romanian is *caş *(< Lat. _caseus_) and *caşcaval *(< Tur. _kaşkaval _and related to the regional Italian form _cacio cavallo_).
> 
> robbie


 
In Bulgarian, there is no common word to mean cheese of every kind. There is *сùрене* (feta cheese) and *кашкавàл *(*caşcaval: *another specific kind of cheese). To both questions "Is the *сùрене* a kind of *кашкавàл?*" and "Is the *кашкавàл *a kind of *сùрене?*", I would answer no.

I suppose, in Romanian might be the similar situation: there is *caşcaval *(as a type of cheese known also in Bulgaria and Turkey) and there is also *brânză *(feta cheese). I would ask a native Romanian the following questions: "Is the *caşcaval* a kind of *caş?*" and "Is the *caşcaval* a kind of *caş?*"

I use the Russian word *сыр *to translate the Bulgarian *кашкавàл *(*caşcaval*).

In Russian, along with the word *сыр*, there is also a word *брынза* which I use for the Bulgarian *сùрене *(feta cheese). There might be a question about the Russian usage: "Is the *брынза* a kind of *сыр?*". I would answer yes, but I am not a native speaker.

Some Russian dictionaries tell that *брынза *is *сыр из овечьего молока *(Schafkäse, queso de ovejas) but I have some reason to doubt as the feta cheese can be produced of cow milk as well as of sheep milk.


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## OldAvatar

Christo Tamarin said:


> I would ask a native Romanian the following questions: "Is the *caşcaval* a kind of *caş?*" and "Is the *caşcaval* a kind of *caş?*"



They are definitely not the same thing. *Caş *and *caşcaval *sounds similar just because of a coincidence. *Caş *is white, non-salted cheese and the etymology is Latin _caseus_. It is a cheese resulted from the beginning of the process of making the so-called feta cheese.
*Caşcaval *might be a Turkish word, from Italian _caccio cavallo_, as robbie said earlier and it is yellow cheese.
Process of fabrication, etymology, appearance, taste, even etymology are all different.


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## Montesacro

OldAvatar said:


> They are definitely not the same thing. *Caş *and *caşcaval *sounds similar just because of a coincidence. *Caş *is white, non-salted cheese and the etymology is Latin _caseus_. It is a cheese resulted from the beginning of the process of making the so-called feta cheese.
> *Caşcaval *might be a Turkish word, from Italian _*caciocavallo*_, as robbie said earlier and it is yellow cheese.
> Process of fabrication, etymology, appearance, taste, even etymology are all different.


 
The first part of _caciocavallo_ comes of course from Latin _caseus._
So *caş *and *caşcaval *are not that different in their etymology...


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## OldAvatar

I meant the etymology in Romanian language. While _caşcaval _might have been coming from Turkish, _caş _is native word of Latin origin.


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## Blue jay

Afrikaans: Kaas : )


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## kusurija

In Lithuanian:
Sūris


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