хохол

Russian

Alternative forms

• хохо́лъ (xoxól) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)
• ххл (xxl) (internet slang)

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic *хохолъ (*xoxolŭ), from Proto-Slavic *xoxolъ < *koxolъ. Compare Polish chochoł, Polish chachoł and Czech chochol.

The usage of хохол against Ukrainian people was derived from the оселе́дець (oselédecʹ), a traditional top-knot used by Ukrainian men. It acquired a derogatory connotation and is considered an ethnic slur as well as all the terms derived from it.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [xɐˈxoɫ]

Noun

хохо́л • (xoxól) m inan or m anim (genitive хохла́, nominative plural хохлы́, genitive plural хохло́в, feminine хохлу́шка or хохля́чка, relational adjective хохля́цкий, diminutive хохоло́к)

1. (inanimate) (birds) crest, (human hair) topknot, tuft of hair

   Synonyms: чуб (čub), чупрун (čuprun), вихо́р (vixór), оселе́дец (oselédec)

2. (animate, derogatory, ethnic slur, offensive) a Ukrainian, khokhol

   Synonyms: украи́нец (ukraínec), укр (ukr), укро́п (ukróp), салое́д (salojéd), малоро́сс (maloróss), малору́сс (malorúss)

   Что он видит: первое, папа сидит, естественно смотрит телевизор и говорит, что во всем виноваты эти козлы, эти скоты, эти политики чёртовы! между этим, пересчитывая 200 грн, которые вчера заработал на пикете, когда стоял за этих же козлов и вонючих депутатов. Это нормально - не стоит он, стоит кто-то другой! "А че это кто-то другой должен взять эти вороватые бабки? Почему не я? " - думает папа. Ребенок наматывает на ус и наш украинец по чучуть начинает превращать своего папу в этого хохла.

   Što on vidit: pervoje, papa sidit, jestestvenno smotrit televizor i govorit, što vo vsem vinovaty eti kozly, eti skoty, eti politiki čórtovy! meždu etim, peresčityvaja 200 grn, kotoryje včera zarabotal na pikete, kogda stojal za etix že kozlov i vonjučix deputatov. Eto normalʹno - ne stoit on, stoit kto-to drugoj! "A če eto kto-to drugoj dolžen vzjatʹ eti vorovatyje babki? Počemu ne ja? " - dumajet papa. Rebenok namatyvajet na us i naš ukrainec po čučutʹ načinajet prevraščatʹ svojevo papu v etovo xoxla.

   What he sees: first, Dad sits, naturally watches TV, and says, "These goats, these brutes, these damn politicians are to blame for everything!" Meanwhile, he counts the 200 hryvnias that he earned yesterday at the protest where he stood for these same "goats and stinking deputies." This is normal - he was not standing there, but someone else is! "And why should someone else take this stolen money? Why not me?" Dad thinks. The child gets into trouble and his dad turns our Ukrainian boy, little by little, into this khokhol.

3. (animate, derogatory, ethnic slur, offensive, specifically) a Ukrainian nationalist

Usage notes

• Originally the term was for Ukrainians, Belarusians and Zaporizhzhia Cossacks and also for simple people ("В князья не прыгал из хохлов..." A. Pushkin). The term was not always pejorative in Russia and is sometimes used by Ukrainians themselves in jest or ironically ("Українці мої! Дай вам Боже і щастя, і сил. Можна бути хохлом, і не згіркне від того хлібина..." V. Baranov (Ukrainian writer) - "My Ukrainians! May God give you both happiness and strength. You can be a khokhol, and bread will not turn sour from that ..."). There are proper names based on "хохол" - e.g. Хохол, Хохольский, Хохол-Тростянка, etc.
• The use of "хохол" increased in 2014 due to the War in Donbas, originally by Russian nationalists; and was popularised from the outbreak of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as more people in Russia supported the invasion. Their usage of "хохол" referred either specifically to anti-Russian nationalists (as opposed to "украинец"), soldiers in the Ukrainian army, or towards any Ukrainian in general.

Declension

Declension of хохо́л (bian masc-form hard-stem accent-b reduc) 

		singular	plural
nominative		хохо́л xoxól	хохлы́ xoxlý
genitive		хохла́ xoxlá	хохло́в xoxlóv
dative		хохлу́ xoxlú	хохла́м xoxlám
accusative	animate	хохла́ xoxlá	хохло́в xoxlóv
	inanimate	хохо́л xoxól	хохлы́ xoxlý
instrumental		хохло́м xoxlóm	хохла́ми xoxlámi
prepositional		хохле́ xoxlé	хохла́х xoxláx

Synonyms

• (Ukrainian): украи́нец (ukraínec, noun) (neutral term), укр (ukr) (offensive), укро́п (ukróp, noun) (offensive, "dill"), салое́д (salojéd) (offensive, "lard-eater"), малоро́сс (maloróss), малору́сс (malorúss) (offensive, "little Russian"), Тара́с (Tarás) (derogatory, "Taras"), Мико́ла (Mikóla) (derogatory, "Michael")

Derived terms

• лохо́л (loxól) (slang, "a Ukrainian fool")
• по-хохла́цки (po-xoxlácki) ("in Ukrainian")
• свинохохол (svinoxoxol) (slang, "a pig-Ukrainian")
• скако́л (skakól) (slang, "jumping Ukrainian", from the Euromaidan chant "Кто не скачет — тот москаль" (Who doesn't jump, he is Russian))
• хохла́цкий (xoxláckij), хохля́цкий (xoxljáckij) ("Ukrainian, related to Ukrainian people")
• хохло- (xoxlo-)
• хохлодро́чер (xoxlodróčer) (slang, "someone who supports Ukraine")
• хохло́лог (xoxlólog) (a specialist in Ukraine or Ukrainian culture)
• хохлёнок (xoxljónok) (slang, "a Ukrainian child")
• хохлопропага́нда (xoxlopropagánda) (Ukrainian propaganda)
• хохлосра́ч (xoxlosráč) (slang, "a discussion about Ukrainian politics or relations with Russia")
• хохлушка (xoxluška, noun) ("a Ukrainian woman")
• Хохляндия (Xoxljandija, noun) ("Ukraine")

Descendants

• → Armenian: խախոլ (xaxol)
• → Azerbaijani: xaxol
• → English: khokhol, hohol
• → Ingrian: hohla
• → Polish: chachoł
• → Romanian: hahol (Moldova)

Ukrainian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [xɔˈxɔɫ]

Noun

хохо́л • (xoxól) m pers (genitive хохла́, nominative plural хохли́, genitive plural хохлі́в, feminine хохлу́шка, relational adjective хохля́цький)

1. (derogatory, ethnic slur, offensive) a Ukrainian, khokhol

Usage notes

In spite of occasional use, mostly in mockery of anti-Ukrainian sentiments in Russia, the term хохол is considered extremely offensive in Ukraine.

Declension

Declension of хохо́л (pers hard masc-form accent-b reduc)

	singular	plural
nominative	хохо́л xoxól	хохли́ xoxlý
genitive	хохла́ xoxlá	хохлі́в xoxlív
dative	хохло́ві, хохлу́ xoxlóvi, xoxlú	хохла́м xoxlám
accusative	хохла́ xoxlá	хохлі́в xoxlív
instrumental	хохло́м xoxlóm	хохла́ми xoxlámy
locative	хохло́ві, хохлі́ xoxlóvi, xoxlí	хохла́х xoxláx
vocative	хо́хле xóxle	хохли́ xoxlý

Synonyms

• украї́нець (ukrajínecʹ) (neutral)
• малоро́с (malorós)

References

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “хохол”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka