kucyk - etymology

[In-Su]

Hello,
I've looked online but haven't been able to find the etymology of the Polish word for pony. Can anyone help? Many thanks in advance.

 

[zaffy]

It is 'kucyk, hardly anyone says 'kuc' at least here in the south of Poland, although it is a synonym.

 

[Ben Jamin]

Kuc is of course the root word, and the derived form kucyk (it is a diminutive) is much younger. As far as I know there is no known etymology of this word. I once asked the same question at the forum.
It might be of Asian origin (turkic, uralic or mongolic), as many Polish words related to horses (kary, bułany, bachmat, rumak, etc).

 

[nyorai]

It's more likely of Belarusian/Russian origin. In Russian куцый [kucyj] means "with a short or cropped tail", it also means "scanty, meagre", which may relate to the size of the animal. The Polish dictionary of etymology states that the word "kuc" is also related to the word "kusy", which in Polish denotes something that is too small, too short etc. "Kusa sukienka" - a dress that is too short or shows too much

 

[Ben Jamin]

It's more likely of Belarusian/Russian origin. In Russian куцый [kucyj] means "with a short or cropped tail", it also means "scanty, meagre", which may relate to the size of the animal. The Polish dictionary of etymology states that the word "kuc" is also related to the word "kusy", which in Polish denotes something that is too small, too short etc. "Kusa sukienka" - a dress that is too short or shows too much

Which dictionary of etymologia are you quoting?

 

[marco_2]

Well, Brückner also suggests that kuc(yk) is related to the word kusy - in his day kucyk also meant kaftanik (matinee jacket) so something short. And kusy (formerly kęsy) comes from kąsać, so it means that something is short as though it has been bitten off.

 

[nyorai]

Which dictionary of etymologia are you quoting?

The one by Brückner - mind you, only this part is from the dictionary: "the word "kuc" is also related to the word "kusy""; the part of the sentence after the comma is my addition based on how the word "kusy" is used in Polish nowadays.

 

[RomanBoukreev]

It's more likely of Belarusian/Russian origin. In Russian куцый [kucyj] means "with a short or cropped tail", it also means "scanty, meagre", which may relate to the size of the animal. The Polish dictionary of etymology states that the word "kuc" is also related to the word "kusy", which in Polish denotes something that is too small, too short etc. "Kusa sukienka" - a dress that is too short or shows too much

Being a Russian, I think that куцый may work as "kusy" in Polish. In colloquial speech, we may use куцый путь = a small track/road, куцый сад = an almost empty garden. However, I don't think is the style of great literature.

 

[Ben Jamin]

The te

Being a Russian, I think that куцый may work as "kusy" in Polish. In colloquial speech, we may use куцый путь = a small track/road, куцый сад = an almost empty garden. However, I don't think is the style of great literature.

It is of course fully possible that the word came from Byelorussian, but the native Russian etymology is not so certain.

 

[In-Su]

Thank you all for your very informative input!

To the mod who changed the thread title: Note that the etymology of kucyk is well known--kuc + -yk. It is the etymology of kuc which is less clear.
kucyk - Wiktionary