Russians commonly use the word khokhol (Russian: хохол) as an ethnic slur for Ukrainians, as it was a common haircut of Ukrainian Cossacks. The term is frequently derogatory or
condescending, an equivalent of the Ukrainian term katsap and Polish kacap for Russians. The word comes from Proto-Slavic xoxolъ < *koxolъ, “crest, tuft.”
Besides calling Ukrainians khokhly, Russians also refer to Ukraine as Khokhlyandiya (Ukrainian: Хохляндія, Хохландія) and Khokhlostan (Ukrainian: Хохлостан). The word "Khokhol" with the meaning of "unconscious Ukrainian" refers to the person who renounced their
independence,
individuality and allegiance to Russia, and instead began using Turkisms (words derived from Turkic languages) that were incorporated into the Ukrainian language