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A man used the first and a woman used the second, to each other. What exactly do they mean? Are they naughty terms of endearment or harmless, cute ones?

:-)

Context: Armenian man and Ukrainian woman from Lviv writing to each other in Latin script Online. I have spelled exactly as they have.

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    I think you need to provide some context, but I would say those are very likely endearing nicknames.
    – Alexander
    Apr 23, 2018 at 17:47
  • Agree with @Alexander that context is needed. The endearing nickname could be originating from colloquial Armenian word պուպուշ / pupush
    – Vitaly
    Apr 23, 2018 at 18:03
  • or maybe these are пупсик and пупсёнок? Apr 23, 2018 at 18:11
  • Without context, they sound like an elaborately and unbearably corny attempt at cutesiness, with something cringey about their very sound. Apr 23, 2018 at 20:40
  • an Armenian origin of pupushik is traced here and in Google in general including in Cyrillic orthography, but the second word is surely russified with the suffix -онок Apr 23, 2018 at 21:35

4 Answers 4

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I think they said кукушка (cuckoo) and кукушонок (little cuckoo). The following tongue twister was meant:

Кукушка кукушонку купила капюшон.

Надел кукушонок капюшон.

Как в капюшоне он смешон.

(The cuckoo bought a hood for the little cuckoo.

The little cuckoo put the hood on.

How funny looks it now.)

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пупсик is a word in common use — naughty term of endearment or harmless, cute one

You can use suffix -онокпупсёнок,
It is not really in common use, but every-one still get it. The word has the same meaning. Maybe a little cutier.

Finally, pupushik and pupushonokпупушик and пупушонок — it is not known words for a Russian speaker, but they are similar to пупсик, everyone will notice that, and will assume what it is some kind of naughty terms of endearment or harmless, cute ones.

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  • I'd say pupushonok might exist, mutated from kukushonok in the "kuzdra kudlachit bokrenka" way :-D
    – Arioch
    Apr 24, 2018 at 9:11
  • I'd guess that both пупушик and пупушонок are different mixes of кукушонок and пушистик.
    – Alissa
    Apr 24, 2018 at 11:51
  • While the words pupushik and pupushonok are unknown to most Russian speakers, searches on Google show that they are used as tags for pictures of cute children.
    – Vitaly
    Apr 24, 2018 at 12:48
  • The topic starter might mishear the words
    – schmidt9
    Apr 24, 2018 at 14:33
  • I wrote them here from a photo of the writing made by the original users. So it is correct and in Latin script as they used with each other.
    – Ron
    Apr 27, 2018 at 5:46
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Both of these words are 'russified' forms of a colloquial Armenian word pupush / պուպուշ. According to Armenian Wiktionary it is an adjective meaning lovely, sweetheart.

The Russian words пупушик and пупушонок are nouns that are formed using diminutive suffixes -ик and -онок. Based on sparse internet usage, these words are used as cute terms of endearment ("pet names") applied to loved ones and children.

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Let's take a potshot at it

Maybe these are пупсик and пупсёнок, which are (at least the first one) not uncommon as names of endearment between romantic partners.

Here're translation options for пупсик from Multitran

kewpie; kewpie doll; munchkin; baby doll; cutie
cutie pie
babycakes; pookie

But a picture is worth a 1000 words

ПУПС

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  • никогда не слышал "potshot" в этом контексте. Как по мне выражение немного странно звучит.) Может, в Америке так говорят, но у нас (Канада), точно нет. Это звучит, как будто Вы хотите оскорбить кого-то или само слово))
    – VCH250
    Apr 24, 2018 at 12:01
  • @VCH250 appreciate the feedback, found this expression in a dictionary with some confirmations from web sources, have never heard it though either, i guess a shot in the dark is more common, what other idioms you'd personally use if i may ask? Apr 24, 2018 at 14:42

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