false friends - O

What is this?

There's a certain amount of words which came into both Serbian and English from other languages, mostly Latin, but have different meanings in each language.

Even native English words may mean something else in Serbian, for several reasons:
1) they were misunderstood when coming into Serbian
2) they were understood well first time, but changed their meaning in English meanwhile
3) they were understood well first time, but changed their meaning in Serbian meanwhile

Of course, there is also all the Greek and Latin which is wrongly used in English - just look up "pathetic", and remember how it's used today.

12-VII-2006 - 1-III-2021 go home  
in English
in Serbian it means
is similar to
which means
objective
cilj, zadatak, objektivan
objektiv
camera lens
offensive
uvredljiv
ofanzivan
related to, or part of a military offensive; coming across as attacking
operate
poslovati, delovati, rukovati
operisati
to do surgery
operational
u radnom stanju, ispravan
operacioni
surgical (table, room)
ordnance
municija, džebana
ordonans
orderly, officer's servant
original
prvobitni
originalni
not a copy, based on new idea
ottoman
tabure
otoman
flat sofa
oval
ovalnog oblika, zaobljen
oval
mixed barbecue and bits of salad for three or more persons, traditionally served on oval shaped plate but not necessarity so, usually of chromed steel