False Friends in Slavic Languages

• is a complete false friend in Lower Sorbian and Russian.
• is a true friend in Croatian, Czech, Macedonian and Slovak.
• has additional meanings in Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Polish, Slovenian, Serbian and Ukrainian.

• The Upper Sorbian meaning ‘steam’ is shared by Belarusian пара, Bosnian para, Bulgarian пара, Croatian para, Czech pára, Macedonian пара, Polish para, Serbian пара, Slovak para, Slovenian para and Ukrainian пара.
• The meaning ‘pair’ (not present in Upper Sorbian ‘para’) is attested in Belarusian пара, Polish para, Russian пара and Ukrainian пара.
• The meaning ‘a couple of, some’ (not present in Upper Sorbian ‘para’) is attested in Belarusian пара, Polish para, Russian пара and Ukrainian пара.
• The meaning ‘penny, money’ (not present in Upper Sorbian ‘para’) is attested in Bosnian para, Bulgarian пара and Serbian пара.
• The meaning ‘breath’ (not present in Upper Sorbian ‘para’) is attested in Polish para.
• The meaning ‘dirt on street, mud’ (not present in Upper Sorbian ‘para’) is attested in Lower Sorbian para.
• The meaning ‘wretch, (poor) devil’ (not present in Upper Sorbian ‘para’) is attested in Slovenian para.

NB: No information yet for Kashubian.