Russian Language Exported: BABUSHKA
In Russian, a ‘babushka’ is an elderly woman. But, in European languages, it refers to an item from her wardrobe.
In English, the word ‘babushka’ is a fashionable term. It specifically refers to a headscarf tied under the chin, just as grandmothers traditionally did in Russia. The word entered English and then other European languages in the mid‑20th century, when Western tourists began travelling to the USSR and brought this image and style back with them. ‘Babushka’ can refer both to the scarf itself and to the way of tying it.
