keychain

[TheIntricateWillows]

Greetings everyone,

My native language is English but I will provide a couple of translations in other languages that I know.

Spanish - llavero
Ukrainian - брелок
Polish - brelok do kluczy

Please correct me if these are wrong as well, but I don't believe they are.

The reason that I ask is that it seems to vary greatly, but I am not sure if this conclusion is correct. Thanks in advance!

 

[apmoy70]

Ιn Greek it's «μπρελόκ» [ɱbre̞ˈlo̞k] or [bre̞ˈlo̞k] (neut. indecl.) < Fr. breloque

 

[Stoggler]

I call it a keyring, which I think is the only name I’ve heard in British English.

 

[amikama]

Hebrew:

מחזיק מפתחות (lit. "holder of keys")

 

[elroy]

In Palestinian Arabic, ميدالية, midālya, which comes from “medal.”

 

[Awwal12]

I call it a keyring, which I think is the only name I’ve heard in British English.

From looking into the dictionaries they don't look entirely synonymous.
More importantly, Rus. брелок and Ukr. брелок (brelо́k) correspond to "keychain" only in the meaning "аn ornamental piece holding such a chain or ring"; they cannot refer to a ring holding the keys together - only to the larger, usually ornamental piece attached to the same ring for the sake of convenience.

 

[serbianfan]

I call it a keyring, which I think is the only name I’ve heard in British English.

Yes, I agree, that's what we say in British English. But it seems many Americans call it a keychain, even though the chain part may be very small or non-existent. You can see various types if you google the images for "keychain". In Norwegian it can certainly be "nøkkelring" (key ring) but it's very often called "nøkkelknippe" (bunch of keys).

 

[Roxxxannne]

I hear and use two words in AmE: keyring if the thing that holds the keys is a ring that's one piece of metal or plastic, like a ring for one's finger but much bigger (and with a way to open it so as to add and remove keys) and keychain if the actual thing that the keys are on is made of tiny links.

 

[TheIntricateWillows]

From looking into the dictionaries they don't look entirely synonymous.
More importantly, Rus. брелок and Ukr. брелок (brelо́k) correspond to "keychain" only in the meaning "аn ornamental piece holding such a chain or ring"; they cannot refer to a ring holding the keys together - only to the larger, usually ornamental piece attached to the same ring for the sake of convenience.

That's an important point. I always forget the correct word for it. Would "кільце для ключів" be correct?

 

[Awwal12]

That's an important point. I always forget the correct word for it. Would "кільце для ключів" be correct?

Well, it (the ring itself) is "кольцо для ключей" in Russian, so with all likehood it should be "кільце для ключів" in Ukrainian indeed.

 

[AndrasBP]

Hebrew:

מחזיק מפתחות (lit. "holder of keys")

Same in Hungarian:

kulcstartó /ˈkult͡ʃtɒrtoː/ - from 'kulcs' (a Slavic loan) = key + 'tartó' = holder

 

[bearded]

The Italian word is portachiavi (lit. key carrier).

midālya, which comes from “medal

Or (I surmise) from the corresponding It. word medaglia...?

 

[AndrasBP]

Or (I surmise) from the corresponding It. word medaglia...?

Maybe through Venetian, which had a presence in the eastern Mediterranean (e.g. Crete, Cyprus)?

 

[serbianfan]

We're actually talking about two different things here (or at least I was, when I said Norwegians often say "bunch of keys"). 1. The ring itself that you buy in a shop, or in the street everywhere where tourists go, attached to something that says "I love Pisa" or "Ich liebe Berlin". 2. The ring plus keys, which could still be called a key ring, but maybe "bunch of keys" or just "keys" in different social contexts is more likely: "Have you seen my keys? Can't remember where I put them" or "I saw a bunch of keys on the table. Who do they belong to?"

 

[Welsh_Sion]

Cymraeg/Welsh:

cylch (n.m.) allweddi
circle keys
'key-ring'

Note that Southern Welsh uses allwedd (n.f.) whereas Northerners use [a]goriad (n.m.) for 'a key'. Both regions however use allwedd for e.g. the key to a diagram.

 

[Demiurg]

We're actually talking about two different things here (or at least I was, when I said Norwegians often say "bunch of keys"). 1. The ring itself that you buy in a shop, or in the street everywhere where tourists go, attached to something that says "I love Pisa" or "Ich liebe Berlin". 2. The ring plus keys, which could still be called a key ring, but maybe "bunch of keys" or just "keys" in different social contexts is more likely: "Have you seen my keys? Can't remember where I put them" or "I saw a bunch of keys on the table. Who do they belong to?"

Exactly. In German, the former is called "Schlüsselanhänger" (lit. key pendant) the latter "Schlüsselbund" (lit. key bundle).

 

[TheIntricateWillows]

Exactly. In German, the former is called "Schlüsselanhänger" (lit. key pendant) the latter "Schlüsselbund" (lit. key bundle).

I'm pretty sure my American English got into the way of asking the question in a way that makes sense. 😬

 

[Terio]

French :
Porte-clés «keyholder». If it is a simple ring, you may call it anneau à clés.

Note that clé(s) may also be written clef(s) but the prononciation is the same : [kle]. The s is for plural and is not pronounced. The spelling clef is more formal, a bit old.