{{Short description|Linguistic error by Viktor Yanukovych}} '''Yanukisms''' ({{Langx|uk|янукізми|yanukizmy}}) is a Ukrainian colloquial term for various linguistic errors and mistakes made by former President Viktor Yanukovych, who was widely noted for frequent malapropisms and misspellings, which contrasted with the formal and educated image he projected in public.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-09-03 |title=Янукізми |trans-title=Yanukisms |url=https://tyzhden.ua/ianukizmy/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=The Ukrainian Week |language=uk}}</ref>
One of the best-known examples of a Yanukism is the misspelling "{{Not a typo|proffesor}}" ({{langx|uk|проффесор}}), which Yanukovych wrote on his registration form during the 2004 presidential election. He made 12 other mistakes while filling out the form, most notably misspelling the names of his wife and his hometown.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Viktorovich |first=Yana |date=21 September 2004 |title=Тому що "проффесор" |trans-title=Because "proffesor" |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2004/09/21/3002574/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Ukrainska Pravda |language=uk}}</ref> The term "proffesor" became an internet meme and a nickname for Yanukovych. In light of these errors, members of the Ukrainian public and media began to question his doctorate in economics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Motyl |first=Alexander J. |date=2010-09-30 |title=The proFFesor's latest flub: Yanukovych without a clue |url=https://archive.kyivpost.com/article/opinion/op-ed/the-proffesors-latest-flub-yanukovych-without-a-cl-84539.html |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Kyiv Post}}</ref> The frequency of Yanukovych's mistakes has also led to suspicions that his best-selling books may have been ghostwritten.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Solonyna |first=Yevhen |last2=Sindelar |first2=Daisy |date=2012-04-19 |title=Ukrainian President's Millions In Book Fees Raise Eyebrows |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine_president_million-dollar_book_deal_raises_eyebrows/24552217.html |access-date=2023-03-04 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=en}}</ref>
Yanukisms may also involve factual mistakes rather than linguistic errors. Among other statements, Yanukovych has claimed that the Greek Mount Athos is located in Palestine, referred to the 2022 Winter Olympics as 'a World Championship' and stated that Israel is a European country.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 July 2011 |title=Черговий конфуз Януковича. Тепер спортивний |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2011/07/8/6368248/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Ukrainska Pravda |language=uk}}</ref>
== Examples == {| class="wikitable" !Yanukism !Explanation !Ref. |- |проффесор (''{{ill|proffesor|uk|Проффесор}}'') |extra ф (''f'') |<ref name=":0" /> |- |Welcome in Ukraine! |wrong preposition (''to'' instead of ''in''); Yanukovych said this while on a state visit to Japan in 2011 |<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Янукович помилився, вимовляючи класичну англійську фразу |url=https://ua.korrespondent.net/ukraine/1176353-yanukovich-pomilivsya-vimovlyayuchi-klasichnu-anglijsku-frazu |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Корреспондент.net |language=ru}}</ref> |- |Isaak Bebel |Yanukovych mixed up the Ukrainian author Isaac Babel and the German politician August Bebel. |<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=35 курйозів, що сталися в житті екс-гаранта України Віктора Януковича |url=https://pogliad.ua/news/chernivtsi/35-kuryoziv-scho-stalisya-v-zhitti-eks-garanta-ukrayini-viktora-yanukovicha-164302 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Погляд – новини Чернівці та Чернівецької області |archive-date=2021-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810115159/https://pogliad.ua/news/chernivtsi/35-kuryoziv-scho-stalisya-v-zhitti-eks-garanta-ukrayini-viktora-yanukovicha-164302 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- |йолка (''yolka'') |meaning 'Christmas tree'. The Ukrainian term is ялинка (''yalynka''). |<ref name=":1" /> |- |прємьєр-міністр (''premyer-ministr'') |misspelling of прем'єр-міністр, meaning 'Prime Minister'<br>The incorrect spelling is derived from the Russian "Премьер-министр", substituting е and и with the Ukrainian letters є and і (which carry the same pronunciation in Ukrainian as е and и do in Russian — although е and и exist in the Ukrainian alphabet as well, they are pronounced differently). |<ref name=":0" /> |- |курасани (''kurasany'') |correct spelling: круасани (''kruasany''), meaning 'croissants' |<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-12-28 |title="Самсунг" вам й "курасани" з маком: найкумедніші ляпи Януковича за рік |url=https://gazeta.ua/articles/politics/_samsung-vam-j-kurasani-z-makom-najkumednishi-lyapi-anukovicha-za-rik-/475202 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Gazeta.ua |language=uk}}</ref> |- |Secretary General Clinton |while meeting Hillary Clinton, Yanukovych mistitled her as 'Secretary General' instead of 'Secretary of State' |<ref name=":2" /> |- |"We will be blowing in all bells" |Promising to publicize the issues encountered by Zaporizhzhya Titanium-Magnesium Plant in 2009 |<ref name=tsn>{{Cite web|title=35 курйозів та "ляпів", що сталися в житті сьогоднішнього іменинника і "проффесора" Януковича|date=2014-07-09|url=https://tsn.ua/tsikavinki/35-kuryoziv-ta-lyapiv-scho-stalisya-v-zhitti-sogodnishnogo-imeninnika-i-proffesora-yanukovicha-358334.html|website=TSN.ua|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> |- |"...So that we don't remain without gas like a dog in the manger" |When commenting on his activities to provide Ukraine with gas supplies |<ref name=tsn/> |- |"We will strive for contraction of the political dialogue" |During a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Yanukovych confused the Russian word сохранение (preservation) with сокращение (contraction) |<ref name=tsn/> |- |"I took for myself a decision to give up my interests. And I will say, that I have always had one interest - for the country to be strong, and for the people to live in wealth." |Declared during a talk show |<ref name=tsn/> |- |"Zayev offered me to raise [the pensions] by 100%, but I told him - no, we must [raise them] twofold!.." |Spoken on air of Shuster Live |<ref name=tex>{{Cite web|title=Ляпи Януковича: класичні і некласичні (підбірка янукізмів від Антона Зікори)|date=2010-03-16|url=https://texty.org.ua/articles/19012/Lapy_Janukovycha_klasychni_i_neklasychni_pidbirka_janukizmiv-19012/|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> |- |"If we are speaking about agriculture, then we must at least not trade grain, but process it into meat..." |Expressing his views on economy |<ref name=tex/> |- |"We recognize [...], that the territory of our country should be made unsafe for the life of our citizens..." |Spoken during a session of the National Security and Defence Council |<ref name=tyzh>{{Cite web|title=Ляпи Януковича-2012: як “побачити своїми руками” “курасани” під час “тоталірізму”|date=2013-01-02|url=https://tyzhden.ua/liapy-ianukovycha-2012-iak-pobachyty-svoimy-rukamy-kurasany-pid-chas-totalirizmu/|access-date=2026-04-13}}</ref> |- |"[Medicine] is the branch that must come at the forefront, like smoke from a steam train" |Expressing his views on the medical system |<ref name=tyzh/> |- |People from Lviv are "the country's best genocide" |Yanukovych mixed up the words for gene pool (генофонд'', henofond'') and genocide (геноцид, ''henotsyd'') |<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-03-11 |title=Янукович назвав львів'ян "кращим геноцидом країни" |url=http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/yanukovich-nazvav-lviv-yan-krashchim-genotsidom-krayini.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311090015/http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/yanukovich-nazvav-lviv-yan-krashchim-genotsidom-krayini.html |archive-date=2010-03-11 |website=tsn.ua |language=uk}}</ref> |- |Anna Akhmetova |misspelling of Akhmatova |<ref name=":2" /> |- |"when you see with your own hands (– –) you touch it with your own eyes" |Yanukovych describes reports from regional governors |<ref>{{Cite web |title=В Луганске Янукович рассказал об украинской традиции "увидеть руками, глазами потрогать" |url=https://politics.segodnya.ua/politics/V-Luganske-YAnukovich-rasskazal-ob-ukrainskoy-tradicii-uvidet-rukami-glazami-potrogat-390365.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221001728/https://politics.segodnya.ua/politics/V-Luganske-YAnukovich-rasskazal-ob-ukrainskoy-tradicii-uvidet-rukami-glazami-potrogat-390365.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 21, 2023 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Сегодня |language=ru}}</ref> |- |"revival and development of Pridnestrovie and all of Ukraine" |Yanukovych confused the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk ({{Langx|uk|Дніпропетровська область|translit=Dnipropetrovska oblast|links=no}}) with the unrecognized state of Transnistria ({{Langx|uk|Придністров'я|translit=Prydnistrovia|links=no}}), which is a part of Moldova. |<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-02-24 |title=Янукович пополнил свою коллекцию оговорок |url=http://politics.comments.ua/2012/02/24/324323/yanukovich-pereputal.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227093451/http://politics.comments.ua/2012/02/24/324323/yanukovich-pereputal.html |archive-date=2012-02-27 |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Комментарии |language=uk}}</ref> |- |"low-enriched Iran" |Yanukovych was meant to tell Barack Obama that a new research center in Kharkiv will focus on researching low-enriched uranium; he mixed up the words for "Iran" ({{Langx|uk|Іран|translit=Iran|links=no}}) and "uranium" ({{Langx|uk|уран|translit=uran|links=no}}). |<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-09-28 |title=Янукович винайшов "низькозбагачений Іран" |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2012/09/28/6973673/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Українська правда |language=uk}}</ref> |- |{{Interlanguage link|Astanavites!|uk|Астанавітєсь!|italic=yes}} ({{Lang|uk|Астанавітєсь!}}; Stop!) |Russianism; the proper Ukrainian term is {{Lang|uk|Зупиніться!}} ({{Transliteration|uk|Zupynit'sia!}}), another internet-meme associated with Yanukovich.<ref>[https://doba.te.ua/post/22009 Інтернет заполонив новий мем з Януковичем (ФОТОЖАБИ)]</ref> Said in an address to the new Ukrainian government after the removal of Yanukovych from power in 2014. |<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxx6xrh0duE | title=Астанавітєсь — Янукович (Full HD) | website=YouTube | date=30 March 2023 }}</ref> |- |"I think that Ukraine is our strategic partner" |Freudian slip during a press conference in Rostov-on-Don following the flight of Yanukovych, who still claimed to be the legitimate president of Ukraine, to Russia |<ref name=tsn/> |}
==See also== *Azirivka *Bushism
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:Ukrainian language Category:2000s neologisms Category:Viktor Yanukovych Category:Terms for quotations of notable persons Category:Speech error