This morning I found myself pondering lentils as I made soup. I always assumed that чечевица (che-che-VEET-sa, "lentils") was a borrowed word because it didn't sound particularly Russian. When my paper etymologycal dictionary failed to turn up anything (oh yes, it has Чебоксары, but no чечевица), I went online and discovered Max Vasmer.
According to Vasmer and a couple of other dictionaries I cross-referenced, чечевица used to be called сочевица (so-che-VEET-sa) in the olden days after a vegan dish that people made to eat on fasting days. I've only had the gruel made of wheat, but apparently lentils were incorporated as well. That's a recipe I'll have to try...
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