Kielbasa ( /kiːlˈbɑːsə/ or /kɪlˈbɑːsə/), kovbasa, klobasa, kolbasa, kolbasi, and kubasa are common North American anglicizations for a type of Eastern European sausage. Synonyms include Polish sausage, Ukrainian sausage, etc. In English, these words refer to a particular genre of sausage, common to all Eastern European countries but with substantial regional variations. In the Slavic languages, these are the generic words for all types of sausage, local or foreign.
The terms entered English simultaneously from different sources, which accounts for the different spellings. Usage varies between cultural groups, but overall there is a distinction between American and Canadian usage.
In the United States, the form kielbasa (usually /kiːlˈbɑːsə/ or /kɪlˈbɑːsə/) is more often used and comes from the Polish kiełbasa [kʲewˈbasa] ( listen) "sausage", perhaps a derivation from the Turkic kül bastï "grilled cutlet". In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and most areas of Greater New York City, a derivative of the Polish word is used, pronounced /kəˈbɑːsiː/ ke-bah-see or keu-bah-sah.
In addition to kielbasa, Canadians also use the word kubasa ( /kuːbɑːˈsɑː/ or /ˈkuːbəsɑː/), a corruption of the
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