“Where are you going?” – etymological roots and modern perception of a linguistic taboo among Ukrainians

Abstract

In Ukrainian folk culture, the road holds symbolic and sacred significance. The road is a place associated with various aspects of existence, including numerous dangers where, according to folk beliefs, people may encounter evil forces. In many Slavic cultures, there is an ancient prohibition against asking a person about their future plans or actions, in particular, asking the question “Where are you going?”. This taboo is based on the belief that voicing one’s plans can bring misfortune. Such a prohibition may also be connected with the animistic beliefs of certain peoples and the faith in the power of the spoken word. This article is devoted to analysing the origins of the taboo expression zakudykaty dorohu (to ask the question “Where are you going?”) and identifying the attitudes of modern Ukrainians towards it. The study demonstrates how archaic linguistic taboos change and adapt to contemporary life while retaining their original meaning. Using a questionnaire survey, 208 respondents from 23 regions of Ukraine were interviewed. It was found that the question “Where are you going?” is unacceptable to 25% of respondents. The analysis of the geographical distribution of respondents did not reveal a clear regional division in the interpretation of this question. The prohibition of the question “Where are you going?” led to the emergence in the Ukrainian language of the special verbs zakudykaty and kudykaty. The study of ethnographic and lexicographic sources of the 19th century, as well as the etymological analysis of the word kudy (“where”) and its derivative zakudykania, in particular their connection with the name of an evil spirit Kud, revealed the reasons why this interrogative word is considered taboo. It has been established that the concept of zakudykania reflects a synthesis of archaic folk beliefs related to the road, which remain relevant for some Ukrainians even in the 21st century: 51.4% of respondents perceive this expression as a bad omen signalling future misfortune on the road or in business and associate it mainly with negative feelings: surprise (31.3%), indignation (27.9%), curiosity (20.7%), fear (9.1%), shame (4.3%); 32.7% of respondents noted that the prohibition on zakudykuvannia was most often enforced by people of a certain age, gender, or social status, particularly older women. The results of the study indicate that linguistic taboos remain an important part of interpersonal communication, preserving cultural traditions while also demonstrating the flexibility and adaptability of language to new social conditions.