# All Slavic languages: jeans



## TriglavNationalPark

In Slovenian, jeans are known as *kavbojke *(pronounced "cowboyke"), due to their longtime association with American cowboys. Apparently, they are known as *traperice* in Croatian, a reference to North American fur trappers.

I'm curious what they're called in other Slavic languages. Are references to the Old West (or the United States in general) common?


----------



## Azori

In *Slovak*, jeans are either rifle (which is more common) or džínsy. My 13year-old English-Slovak dictionary lists jeans as texasky and džínsy, which is kind of strange, as I've never heard the first one anywhere in Slovakia. However, I came across the word texasky in another book from the early nineties, so I assume it was common some time ago but simply dropped out of use.


----------



## TriglavNationalPark

lior neith said:


> In *Slovak*, jeans are either rifle


 
This is derived from the Italian jeans manufacturer Rifle, I assume? In Slovenia, a popular comedian got the nickname Rifle (pronounced "reefle" ) because he always wore jeans made by that company.


----------



## Azori

TriglavNationalPark said:


> This is derived from the Italian jeans manufacturer Rifle, I assume?


I didn't know there's an Italian jeans manufacturer Rifle . The connection looks more than obvious, so I'd say yes.


----------



## nexy

In Serbia we call them *farmerice/farmerke* (derived from the word *farm *which probably refers to ranches in America (Texas)). References to the US are common.


----------



## Darina

In Bulgarian, jeans are called дънки (donkey?), whereas джинси are corduroy trousers. What a mess!


----------



## dudasd

nexy said:


> In Serbia we call them *farmerice/farmerke* (derived from the word *farm *which probably refers to ranches in America (Texas)). References to the US are common.


 
Derived from _farmer_, actually, for it were farmers in Western movies who wore them.  _Farmerke_ is older, from late 60's, I can't remember that I heard word _farmerice _till 80's, be it directly from people or on TV. Also, when I was a child (long time ago  ) older people called them "teksas pantalone" ("Texas trousers").


----------



## Piotr_WRF

In Polish _jeans_ are called _dżinsy_, which is obviously derived from the English word.


----------



## Maroseika

In Russian it's джинсы, but formerly, in 60-70th it was техасы (from Texas), maybe after some exact trousers trade mark.


----------



## Azori

In Czech, jeans are džínsy, džíny  or rifle.


----------



## TriglavNationalPark

I see that many Slavic languages have adapted the English-language word "jeans" in one form or another. In colloquial Slovenian, *džins* exists as well, but it refers to "denim", the material that jeans (and some other articles of clothing) are made of.


----------



## Piotr_WRF

TriglavNationalPark said:


> In colloquial Slovenian, *džins* exists as well, but it refers to "denim", the material that jeans (and some other articles of clothing) are made of.



_Dżins_ exists in Polish too, meaning _denim_, and it's even not colloquially.


----------



## DarkChild

In Bulgarian jeans are дънки/dynki, or джинси/djinsi. The first is much more common.


----------



## apocalypto

In Bosnian we call them "farmerke" or "džins"


----------



## cajzl

Czech: *džíny* or *džínsy* (from _jeans_ from _Genovese_), also *texasky*

*rifle,** levisky* and *štrausky* are brand names (Rifle, Levi Strauss)

The official police jargon (esp. in former Czechoslovakia):

*texaskové kalhoty* (Czech) and *texaskové nohavice* (Slovak)


----------



## Flameberg

Ukrainian: джинси


----------



## nimak

*Macedonian*

In Macedonian jeans are called фармерки (farmerki) ['farmɛrki]


----------



## elroy

TriglavNationalPark said:


> In Slovenian, jeans are known as *kavbojke *(pronounced "cowboyke")


 This is very interesting, because in Palestinian Arabic one of the words for "jeans" is "kawbōy."  Judging by this thread, it looks like Slovenian may be the only Slavic language that uses a word derived from "cowboy" for "jeans"!  A Slovenian-(Palestinian) Arabic connection -- who knew! 

Now I'm curious whether other Arabic dialects have the same borrowing as well, so I'm starting a thread in the Arabic forum.


----------



## nimak

TriglavNationalPark said:


> In Slovenian, *jeans* are known as *kavbojke *(pronounced "cowboyke") ...





elroy said:


> This is very interesting, because in Palestinian Arabic one of the words for "*jeans*" is "*kawbōy*." ...



In Macedonian *каубојки* (*kaubojki*) [kau'bɔjki] is used for the cowboy style of boots: Google Search Images: "cowboy+boot"


----------



## bibax

The brand *Rifle* was produced even in Czechoslovak textile factories from 1968 (however it wasn't a standard licence) and the production was divided between the Czechoslovak state (for its home market, mainly for the Tuzex shops) and the Italian company Confezioni Fratini (founded in 1958 by Fratini brothers). Hence the common noun *rifle* in Czech, pronounced /rifle/ (nearly nobody knew how to pronounce it properly), plurale tantum like kalhoty  _(= trousers)_, e.g. _koupím si jedny/dvoje/troje rifle._


Darina said:


> In Bulgarian, jeans are called дънки (donkey?), whereas джинси are corduroy trousers.





DarkChild said:


> In Bulgarian jeans are дънки/dynki, or джинси/djinsi. The first is much more common.


Named after James Dean?


TriglavNationalPark said:


> In Slovenian, jeans are known as *kavbojke* ...





nimak said:


> In Macedonian *каубојки* (*kaubojki*) [kau'bɔjki] is used for the cowboy style of boots.


In Czech, *kovbojka* (pl. *kovbojky*) means a cowboy/western story or movie. Figuratively: "nedělej z toho kovbojku" _(= don't make a complicated story from it)_.


----------



## DarkChild

Darina said:


> In Bulgarian, jeans are called дънки (donkey?), whereas джинси are corduroy trousers. What a mess!


Джинси definitely means jeans, though it can be used for corduroy pants as well.



bibax said:


> Named after James Dean?


According to wiki, дънки became a word in the 80s with the arrival of contraband Levi's Donkey.
Another theory states that it derives from dungaree.


----------



## DialectLearner

TriglavNationalPark said:


> In Slovenian, jeans are known as *kavbojke *(pronounced "cowboyke")





nimak said:


> In Macedonian *каубојки* (*kaubojki*) [kau'bɔjki] is used for the cowboy style of boots:





bibax said:


> In Czech, *kovbojka* (pl. *kovbojky*) means a cowboy/western story or movie.


I knew that in Russian and Ukrainian "ковбойка" meant "a cowboy-style hat" but today after a quick web search I have discovered that it also means "a thick checkered shirt" of some special sort, and that some online stores use the word "ковбойки" (plural) to refer to women's boots, some of which, from my point of view, look nothing like those cowboys used to wear.


----------



## elroy

elroy said:


> Now I'm curious whether other Arabic dialects have the same borrowing as well, so I'm starting a thread in the Arabic forum.


 My thread in the Arabic forum suggests that among Arabic dialects, this is unique to Palestinian Arabic, just as it seems to be unique to Slovenian among Slavic languages!  (I also discovered it's used in Cantonese!)


----------

