Split Decisions and Linguistic Laziness

During my digital nomad trek, I found myself in the heart of Split, Croatia. Our cultural immersion workshop with RemoteYear included learning the term “fjaka,” defined by locals as a cherished form of laziness. It’s etymology is as intriguing as its meaning, tracing back to the Italian “fiacco,” denoting tiredness, from the Latin “flaccus” for flaccid (source).

This linguistic discovery resurfaced when I visited Argentina. In Buenos Aires, there is a dialect called Lunfardo which has a term “fiaca,” also embodying laziness. Interestingly, “fiaca” also descends from the Italian “fiacca” (source)

The wordplay didn’t stop at linguistic correlations. My decision to visit Split came after considering RemoteYear programs in Marakesh and Greece. Croatia was an alluring place between two other alluring places. So, in the end, the decision was Split! Yes, the pun was intended—I advocate to pun with intent to pun! 

Ok, so deciding to visit a country just to have the chance to write a blog that hopefully made you laugh, may seem shallow, but the interplay of languages and cultures unraveled through a simple yet profound term like “fjaka” exemplifies what I love about travel: discovering connections.

Speaking of global connections, in Thailand I encountered the phrase "sabai sabai" (สบายๆ), which signifies a sense of comfort or well-being (source). While it may not share the linguistic lineage of the Croatian "fjaka" or the Lunfardo "fiaca," the words are related semantically—they all encapsulate a state of ease or relaxation. This semantic thread across cultures reveals a deeper insight: despite our diverse languages and geographies, the human pursuit of tranquility is widespread.

Update (3/8/2025): A Case of False Etymology at Fika Café in Viña del Mar

At a café called Fika in Viña del Mar, Chile, I saw a wall inscription explaining that in Sweden, fika is the tradition of taking a break—whether alone or with friends—to enjoy coffee, conversation, and a pause from daily life. Naturally, I thought back to fjaka and fiaca—was this another linguistic cousin?

It turns out, no. This was false etymology—fika comes from a playful inversion of kaffi (an old Swedish term for coffee), where the syllables were reversed to form fika. As noted by SwedishFood.com: "The word fika actually derives from the 19th-century slang word for coffee: kaffi. Invert the word kaffi, and you get fika." In contrast, fjaka and fiaca trace back to the Italian fiacca (weakness, lethargy). No shared roots, just a coincidental resemblance.

But even without a linguistic link, the connection is real. Whether in Sweden, Croatia, Argentina, or Thailand, the idea remains the same: the importance of slowing down. The words may not be related, but they all speak to the same universal desire—to take a moment, step away, and just be.