Katsap

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Katsap (Ukrainian: кацап, katsap) is a word commonly used in Central and Eastern Europe to describe Russians, usually in a derogatory manner.

1 Possible etymologies
2 Other uses of the word
3 References
4 See also

[edit] Possible etymologies

Katsap is derived from Ukrainian words yak tsap meaning 'like a goat'. Specifically, this was a reference to male Russian aristocracy who liked to wear their beards sharply cut at the end.
Katsap is a person who instead of saying a Ukrainian word "yak," uses a Russian "kak;" a Katsap would also have an unshaven face therefore looking like a "tsap" or a goat hence the saying kak tsap or 'like a goat.' ^[1] ^[2]
Katsap is an anachronism for Russian soldiers which surfaced from Arabic kassab - butcher.

[edit] Other uses of the word

In the Halychyna region, Katsap also means stacked firewood with the following dimensions: height = 1.5 meters; length = 2 meters; width = 1 meter.

Katsapshchyna (Ukrainian: Кацапщина) or Katsapstan (Ukrainian: Кацапстан) are terms used to describe the country itself - Russia.

[edit] References

^ Max Vasmer, Etymological dictionary of the Russian language, Heidelberg (1962), 4 volumes, available online (V.2, P.213
^ Етимологічний словник української мови: В 7 т. / АН УРСР. Ін-т мовознавства ім. О. О. Потебні; Редкол. О. С. Мельничук (головний ред.) та ін. — К.: Наук. думка, 1985. Т. 2: Д — Копці / Укл.: Н. С. Родзевич та ін. — 1985. — 572 с. djvu очевидно, утворене від цап за допомогою спицифічного компонента ка-, як жартівливе позначення людей, що носять довгі бороди (Фасмер II 213, Преобр. I 302, Bruckner 211), недостатньо обгрунтоване виведення (Крымский Укр. Гр. I 20, Яворницький 342) від тур. крим.-тат. аз. kassap «м’ясник», яке походить від ар. qaşşăb