ЧИМЧИКУВАТИ

The Ukrainian verb "чимчикувати" has meanings ranging from "to scurry" and "to walk quickly in small steps" to "to trudge along."

The word is undoubtedly derived from the Georgian "чимчики" (ჭიმჭიკი)—which refers to "water pepper" (or "Polygonum hydropiper"), a bitter-tasting herb traditionally used as a folk remedy for menstrual issues.

Most likely, "чимчикувати" originally described walking along riverbanks overgrown with water pepper—essentially, walking almost in water.

In fact, Borys Grinchenko’s dictionary illustrates the verb with a quote from Mykhailo Drahomanov: "Люде ідуть мостом, а він прямо водою чимчикує."

This linguistic connection suggests that "чимчикувати" was once closely tied to movement through marshy or riverine landscapes.