Not "liver" or "brains": what other human organs do we commonly misname?

Surzhyk has deeply infiltrated all aspects of life for Ukrainians, especially in medicine. Every day in hospitals, one can hear "льогкі," "почки," and "мозги" instead of the correct Ukrainian equivalents.

Until the 1950s, Ukrainian medical terminology was actively developing, but then it underwent total Russification. "Telegraph" will explain how to properly name human organs and body parts in the Ukrainian language.

Today, many medical professionals and patients use incorrect terms for organs. Instead of "мозги," the correct term is "мозок," and "льогкі" should be replaced with "легені." The word "почки" is a Russism; the Ukrainian equivalent is "нирки."

In medical practice, one often hears "желудок," but it should be correctly referred to as "шлунок." The term "кишечник" is also incorrect – use "кишківник." "Желчный пузырь" and "мочевой пузырь" are incorrect forms; instead, one should use "жовчний міхур" and "сечовий міхур."

It is important to remember that "позвоночник" in Ukrainian is "хребет." Instead of "висок," we use "скроня." "Глаз" is a Russism; the correct term is "око." "Кожа" in Ukrainian translates to "шкіра," while "ладони" should be "долоні."

Errors are also prevalent in professional terminology. "Щитовидная железа" is an incorrect term; the proper term is "щитоподібна залоза." "Слизистая оболочка" in Ukrainian is "слизова оболонка." The verb "лічити" means to count, while for medical procedures, we use "лікувати."

The restoration of Ukrainian medical terminology is a crucial step in the development of national medicine. Using correct terms helps avoid misunderstandings between doctors and patients and contributes to the preservation of the purity of the Ukrainian language.

As a reminder, earlier "Telegraph" wrote about how to say "brothel" in Ukrainian. You might not have even known such words!