What is a typun? 0 17

When we hear an unpleasant prediction or an ill thought, we often say, “Typun to your tongue!” without thinking about what we actually wish for the interlocutor.

The most knowledgeable about the origin of this expression are probably ornithologists, as a typun is a cartilaginous growth at the tip of a bird's tongue that helps them peck at seeds and other food. As a result of inflammatory processes, such a growth can increase, which is considered a sign of a disease resembling diphtheria.

By analogy with the bird's ailment, typun is also used to refer to painful hard formations on a human's tongue. According to superstition, they appear after a person has lied. In Dahl's dictionary, the expression “Typun to your tongue!” is noted as a curse: it is used in response to “nonsensical chatter” and for “reproach.” In modern language, “typun” has acquired an ironic connotation and is no longer perceived as an insult.