Monday, May 4, 2015

KATSAPETIVKA

The old name of the city Vuglegirsk in Donetsk region - Katsapetivka - may be a milestone both of 'katsap's etymology and Ukraine-Russia relations history.

The key part is the Kartvelian toponymic '-ет'-suffix, that means 'place of '.  Thus, 'Katsapeti' literally means 'place of katsaps'.

For those who don't know, the word 'katsap' is a scornful Ukrainian definition of 'a Russian'. 

In its turn, the word 'katsap' means 'butcher' in Laz language. 

So, the first Russians showed up in Ukraine in times when Ukrainians still used Kartvelian suffixes to form the local toponyms.

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