False Friends in Slavic Languages

• is a complete false friend in Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian and Ukrainian.
• has additional meanings in Czech.
• does not have any formally similar counterparts in Slovenian.

• The Slovak meaning ‘junk, trash’ is shared by Czech brak.
• The meaning ‘defect, flaw’ (not present in Slovak ‘brak’) is attested in Polish brak, Russian брак and Ukrainian брак.
• The meaning ‘rejects, refuse, waste’ (not present in Slovak ‘brak’) is attested in Belarusian брак, Bulgarian брак, Czech brak, Polish brak, Russian брак and Ukrainian брак.
• The meaning ‘lack, deficiency’ (not present in Slovak ‘brak’) is attested in Belarusian брак, Polish brak and Ukrainian брак.
• The meaning ‘marriage’ (not present in Slovak ‘brak’) is attested in Bosnian brak, Bulgarian брак, Croatian brak, Macedonian брак, Russian брак and Serbian брак.

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