кефир

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɛfir]

кефир • (kefir) m

1. kefir

• кефи́ръ (kefír) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)
• кафи́р (kafír) — obsolete

Borrowed into Russian from a language of the Caucausus; compare Mingrelian ქიფური (kipuri), Ossetian къӕпы (k’æpy), Karachay-Balkar гыпы (gıpı). The ultimate origin is unknown. The fact the word has an f instead of a p indicates possible transmission to Russian through Arabic كِفِير (kifīr), which would have served as a lingua franca in the Muslim parts of the Caucasus. Relation with a potential Kipchak substrate *köp-ür- is unknown; if that is the case, cognate with Turkish köpürmek ("to foam"), Tatar küp- ("to swell") and Chuvash кӑпӑк (kăp̬ăk) ("foam").

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• IPA^(key): [kʲɪˈfʲir]

кефи́р • (kefír) m inan (genitive кефи́ра, nominative plural кефи́ры, genitive plural кефи́ров, relational adjective кефи́рный, diminutive кефи́рчик)

1. kefir (a yogurt-like beverage made from fermented cows' milk)

   Я про́сто обожа́ю кефи́р, но зато́ терпе́ть не могу́ молоко́! ― Ja prósto obožáju kefír, no zató terpétʹ ne mogú molokó! ― I just love kefir, but, on the other hand, I hate milk!

• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “кефир”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 3rd edition, volumes 1 (а – пантомима), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 393
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “кефир”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Abajev, V. I. (1958) Историко-этимологический словарь осетинского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Ossetian Language] (in Russian), volume I, Moscow and Leningrad: Academy Press, page 627