KAVUN

For those unfamiliar with Ukrainian, "кавун" means "watermelon." It is commonly believed to be a Turkish loanword, but that is incorrect. In Georgian (according to Ariane Chanturia’s dictionary), there is a fascinating word "კავი" (kavi)—primarily known as "hook", but also carrying another remarkable meaning: "tendril" (as in plant tendrils).

This brings to mind an important botanical fact: "...Tendrils of Cucurbitaceae plants (cucumber, melon, watermelon, pumpkin) develop as shoot modifications..."

The ripeness of a watermelon is often judged by the state of its tendril. Thus, "кавун(и)" can be interpreted as "tendril-related" or "vine-fruit."