This is the 875th most frequent Ukrainian word.
подоляк
"Podolyak" refers to a person from Podilia, a historical region in Ukraine.
In this sentence, 'подоляк' is used as a noun, denoting a person originating from the Podillya region.
Він гордо назвав себе подоляком, бо народився на Поділлі.
He proudly called himself a Podolian because he was born in Podillya.
Here, 'Подоляки' is the plural form of the noun 'подоляк' and refers to a group of people from the Podillya region.
Подоляки славляться своєю гостинністю та щирістю.
Podolians are famous for their hospitality and sincerity.
In this context, 'подоляком' is the instrumental case of the noun 'подоляк', used to describe Ivan's origin as recognized by others.