Kalabanchik and tormozok: what words do Ukrainians use instead of a lunch box.

According to ТСН: In Ukraine, you can find unique words in every region that are often incomprehensible to residents of other areas. One of these interesting dialectisms is the word 'kalabanchik'. Recently, it has been actively discussed on social media.

According to linguists, in some regions of Ukraine, a 'kalabanchik' refers to a small container or dish for food taken to work or school. This word adds color to the conversation and is a great example of folk word formation.

Moreover, Ukrainians also mention other regional names for the dishes they take their food in. For example, in Donetsk and mining areas, the following words are popular:

• Tormozok — food taken to work (most often to the mine);

• Marmid — a container for lunch.

What to use instead of 'lunch box'

Instead of the Anglicism 'lunch box' or the familiar 'dish', linguists suggest using native Ukrainian terms and dialectisms.

Here are a few options for what you can call a food container:

• lotochek;

• buterbrodnik;

• pogribets;

• idalnik;

• merendya;

• kanapnitsya;

• obidnitsya;

• smaklunok.

It should be noted that the word 'kalabanchik' refers to dialects, so it is used more often in everyday conversation than in literary language. However, the use of such terms helps preserve linguistic diversity and often surprises interlocutors.

Interestingly, the word 'kapyushon', which Ukrainians use to denote a part of outerwear, has French origins. However, in the Ukrainian language, there are its melodious counterparts, such as 'vidloha' and 'kaptyr', which are recorded in the Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language and were used even in classical literature.

Linguists also emphasize less commonly used dialectisms, such as 'zatula', 'koba', and 'kobka', which can become alternatives to foreign words and enrich the Ukrainian vocabulary.

Preserving linguistic diversity is extremely important, as it helps maintain cultural identity and contributes to language development. The use of dialectisms, such as 'kalabanchik', gives freshness and charm to the conversation, as well as allows new generations to learn more about the richness of the Ukrainian language.