Archive for 'language'
Another Meaning of Sputnik Posted by yelena on Feb 28, 2012
I loved Rob’s comment on my Valentine’s day post. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember Rob’s previous guest posts, including Chemistry for Muggles as well as his exhaustively researched comments, both on the blog and on the Facebook page. This particular comment was so amazing that I figured, it needed…
Defender of the Fatherland Day Posted by yelena on Feb 23, 2012
February 23rd is yet another holiday in Russia – День защитника Отечества (Defender of the Fatherland Day). The majority of young Russian males end up serving in the Armed Forces as призывники (draftees). Comparatively few Russian women serve in the military. Besides, women have their own holiday on March 8th. For all these reasons, February…
12 Months in Russian – Part 2 Posted by yelena on Feb 9, 2012
In case you missed it, this is Part 2 of the story about old Russian names for the 12 months of the year. January through June are covered in Part 1. As for the video, it has a connection albeit tenuous to this post, specifically to one of the names for September. Июль (July) – the old…
Old Russian Names for the 12 Months Posted by yelena on Feb 7, 2012
Ну и зима выдалась! (This is some kind of winter!) Over where I am right now, daffodils and cherry trees are already blooming and folks are strolling around in t-shirts and flip-flops (and no, I am not in the Southern Hemisphere or in the tropics). All the while, my friends in Volgograd, Russia, mention чрезвычайно…
Russian No-nouns Posted by yelena on Jan 31, 2012
This post’s idea comes from Richard who mentioned that he was confused by the noun нежить (lit: the undead) that he encountered reading Nabokov’s story “The Wood Sprite”. Indeed, the noun нежить (undead) sounds exactly like the verb нежить (to pamper), but the meanings of the two words couldn’t be more different. False cognates…
What Your Russian Spouse Calls You (When You Are Not Listening) Posted by yelena on Jan 12, 2012
Ever wonder what your Russian spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend is talking about on the phone? Are they talking about you? First of all, it’s safe to assume that a phone call you have overheard is not all about you. The only exception is if it’s your Russian wife calling her лучшая подруга (best friend) or…
При чём тут arrow in the knee? Posted by yelena on Jan 9, 2012
Do you play видеоигры (video games)? Turns out, they can provide a whole new dimension to language-learning. And it goes beyond Russian language интерфейс (interface) and ability to follow instructions in Russian. Playing games, or at least following friends who play, can give you a glimpse into культура современного общества (society’s contemporary culture) in a…