Not a "wallet": what to call this money accessory in Ukrainian

A small object that is hard to envision modern life without: it holds money, cards, documents. We are used to calling it a "wallet," but Ukrainian has its own old and very interesting word for it.

"Wallet" has entrenched itself in our everyday speech under the influence of Russian, but Ukrainian dictionaries provide a different normative name. We discuss this with a reference to the resource "Gorok".

Which is correct: "wallet" or "purse"?

"Wallet" is a word that many consider a normal Ukrainian term. We hear it in everyday life, use it in conversation, and rarely stop to think where it came from. But in literary Ukrainian, the normative word is another—"purse".

This is precisely the word that academic explanatory dictionaries fix. The history of this word is very interesting. The basis for "purse" is the older Ukrainian "haman"—a leather bag for storing money, tobacco, and other small items. This word was recorded by Boris Hrinchenko in his dictionary. Next to "haman" he lists "purse" as a diminutive form.

Today we most often picture a purse as a leather or textile item with compartments for banknotes and cards. And long ago it was a small money bag. It is from this meaning that the history of the word "purse" begins.

It's also interesting to trace the origin of the word "hryman" (harman): etymologists link it to Turkic languages, and further to a Persian word meaning a bag or belt for money.

This is an ancient word, attested in Ukrainian language and Ukrainian dictionaries. And one more interesting detail: the word "purse" has lived in the language so long that we find it in the works of Ivan Kotliarevsky, Hryhoriy Kvytka-Osnovianenko, and other Ukrainian writers.

So in literary Ukrainian it's better to say:

"Where is my purse?"

"I left my purse at home."

"He took the purse out of his pocket."

But "wallet" is a word that many should avoid in modern normative Ukrainian; the dictionary of word usage Goroh directly gives the recommendation: "More correct: purse."

The word "wallet" is connected to the older word "koshel" which meant a bag, pouch, or small bag for storing things and money. The etymological dictionary of Max Fasmer links "koshel" with the Slavic word "kos"—"basket, woven vessel." Compare: Ukrainian "koshil" or "kosyk" , Polish koszałka , Slovene košulja — "basket"

So the statement "wallet is just a Russian word" would be too simplistic. Its history is much older and connected with Slavic lexicon. But in modern Ukrainian it did not take root for this object.

And what other Ukrainian names exist?

Here the most interesting part begins. Ukrainian has many names for such an object, but they are not always fully interchangeable and some are borrowed, though from different languages. They were common earlier, but gradually fell out of use.

"Kalytka"—an old name for a purse or small bag for money. Thesauri list "kalytka" among synonyms for "purse."

"Kapshuk"—a small bag for money or other small items. This word is also attested as a synonym for "purse."

"Kysa"—an old name for a small bag, especially for money. Today this word has a nuance of antiquity.

"Puliyes"—a dialect name for a purse.

"Portmonnaie"—a borrowed name for a purse, which is also used in Ukrainian. In dictionaries, "portmonnaie" is listed as a counterpart to "purse."

"Moshonka"—in older Ukrainian this word could denote a purse or bag for money, though today it has a completely different, anatomical meaning. Therefore in contemporary usage it should not be used to mean "purse."

We have a whole range of names: purse — haman — kalytka — kapshuk — kisa — pulyres — portmonne. But they differ by time of use, style, origin, and regional prevalence.

So if you need the ordinary, modern word without stylistic nuances, the best to say is "purse."

And if you want to add color to speech, you can recall old names—"haman," "kalytka," "kapshuk," "kysa." They remind us that Ukrainians had names for this item long before the appearance of modern leather wallets with compartments for bank cards.