kolka

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• Rhymes: -ɔlka
• Syllabification: kol‧ka
• Homophone: Kolka

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin colica, from Ancient Greek κωλῐκή (kōlĭkḗ). Influenced by etymology 2, compare Ukrainian ко́лька (kólʹka), Lower Sorbian kólka for the same change.

kolka f

1. stitch (intense stabbing pain under the lower edge of the ribcage)
2. colic (form of acute pain)

• kolika (Middle Polish)

• →? Kashubian: kòlka

From kłóć (“to prick”) +‎ -ka (first person singular kolę). Compare Kashubian kòlka, Ukrainian ко́лька (kólʹka).

kolka f

1. thorn (a sharp protective spine of a plant)

   Synonyms: kolec, cierń

2. needle (leaf of conifers)

   Synonyms: igła, szpilka

3. three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

   Synonyms: ciernik, czart, kat

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “probably from one of the above etymologies and should be merged”)

kolka

1. (Near Masovian, mildly vulgar) used as a general swear word; damn it!

• kolka in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• kolka in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Zygmunt Wasilewski (1889) “kolka”, in Jagodne: wieś w powiecie łukowskim, gminie Dąbie: zarys etnograficzny (in Polish), Warsaw: M. Arct, page 242