False Friends in Slavic Languages

• is a complete false friend in Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Kashubian, Macedonian, Polish, Slovak, Slovenian and Serbian.
• is a true friend in Russian.
• does not have any formally similar counterparts in Ukrainian.

• The Belarusian meaning ‘canon’ is shared by Russian пушка.
• The meaning ‘rifle’ (not present in Belarusian ‘пушка’) is attested in Bosnian puška, Bulgarian пушка, Croatian puška, Czech puška, Macedonian пушка, Serbian пушка, Slovak puška and Slovenian puška.
• The meaning ‘tin Br., can Am.’ (not present in Belarusian ‘пушка’) is attested in Polish puszka.
• The meaning ‘groats’ (not present in Belarusian ‘пушка’) is attested in Kashubian pëszka.
• The meaning ‘open sea’ (not present in Belarusian ‘пушка’) is attested in Croatian pučina.
• The meaning ‘abyss’ (not present in Belarusian ‘пушка’) is attested in Russian пучина.

NB: No information yet for Lower Sorbian and Upper Sorbian.