{"id":1320,"date":"2010-08-26T22:36:18","date_gmt":"2010-08-26T22:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=1320"},"modified":"2010-08-27T05:49:14","modified_gmt":"2010-08-27T05:49:14","slug":"homonyms-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/homonyms-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Same-Same but Different I: Homonyms"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Not always can I in my gigantic, personal library with photographs from Russia find something that illustrates \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0430 <\/em><\/strong>\u0432 <\/em><\/strong>\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0443\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [perfectly] the topic of the post. Then I do like this: pick a random pic and hope somehow it fits! This<\/em> is<\/em> \u00ab\u0437\u0430\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0442 \u0432 \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0435 \u0422\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0435 <\/a>\u0432 \u0421\u0438\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0438 \u043e<\/span>\u0441\u0435\u043d\u044c\u044e <\/strong>2005 (<\/strong><\/em>\u0434\u0432\u0435 <\/em><\/strong>\u0442\u044b<\/span>\u0441\u044f\u0447\u0438 <\/em><\/strong>\u043f\u044f<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e) <\/em><\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0430\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [a sunset in the town of Tara<\/a> in Siberia in the fall of 2005]. The word \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u0437\u0430\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [sunset; end] isn\u2019t exactly a homonym \u2013 our topic for the day \u2013 but rather a word that can also be used figuratively: to mean \u2018end\u2019. Like in the expression \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u043d\u0430 <\/em><\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435 <\/em><\/strong>\u0434\u043d\u0435\u0439\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [in the twilight of one\u2019s life].<\/em><\/p>\n

What do you say about trying to rid ourselves of some the \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u044f<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438 <\/strong>\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u044f\u0437\u044b\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u00bb <\/strong>[pl.<\/em> ambiguities of Russian language]? Russian language has \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u043d\u0435\u044f<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0439\u00bb <\/strong>[a lot pl. gen.<\/em> of vagueness (lack of clarity, unclear points)<\/em>] \u2013 and this is indeed the reason as to why I\u2019ve been able to blog about if for \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0447\u0442\u0438<\/span> <\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0438 <\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0430 <\/strong>\u0443\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u00bb <\/strong>[almost three years already]! The focus of today\u2019s post \u2013 and in at least two others to come in a near and almost immediate future \u2013 is words that can be confused with each other. \u00ab<\/strong>\u0421\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [pl.<\/em> words] that seem to be \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [the same] but really are \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u044b\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [different].\u00a0 In linguistic terms most of these words are defined as \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u044b<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [homonyms<\/a>], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0444\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u044b<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [homophones<\/a>], or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0444\u044b<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [homographs<\/a>]. Today\u2019s post will be all about \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [homonyms], but posts covering both of the other two groups will be forth-coming here on the blog soon. Fear not, dear reader, for\u00a0there is only a matter of time until\u00a0you will have reached \u00ab<\/strong>\u044f<\/span><\/strong>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [fem.<\/em> clarity] \u2013 at least in this regard.<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041e\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [homonym] comes from Greek and translates into English as \u2018having the same name\u2019<\/em>. Two words are considered homonyms if they are spelled the same and pronounced the same but mean different things. Let\u2019s take the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0440\u0430\u043a\u00bb<\/strong><\/a>, for example. In Russian there is the \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0440\u0430\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> that means \u2018matrimony\u2019<\/em><\/a>, but also the \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0440\u0430\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> which means \u2018defective goods, rejects\u2019<\/em><\/a>. These two words are not easily confused with each other \u2013 especially if seen or heard in context \u2013 but have given the foundation for a very popular joke among Russians:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0427\u0442\u043e<\/span>-\u0442\u043e \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0448\u0435\u0435 \u043d\u0435 \u043d\u0430\u0437\u044b\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442 \u0431\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> which can mean both<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t call something good defective\u201d and \u201cThey don\u2019t call something good a marriage\u201d.<\/p>\n

But in Russian it is the ambiguity of the homonyms that makes it funny! I don\u2019t know why I\u2019ve heard this phrase from so many married people in Russia \u2013 have you heard it before?<\/p>\n

Why do we have homonyms? Why does Russian language have homonyms? Well, homonyms can come to exist in languages in several ways. First of all, they are a result of phonological change: a word might come to coincide in sound and form with another word of different origin. This is the case with the pair \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0443\u043a\u00bb <\/strong>[onion\/bow (for shooting)<\/em>]. Sometimes identical forms may arise as a result of the processes of word-formation, like adding distinct suffixes to a root. This was what went down in the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u0438\u043a\u00bb <\/strong>[firing pin\/drummer\/shock worker\/pace-setting worker]. It very often occurs that an already existing word receives quite a new connotation \u2013 the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0432\u0435\u0442\u00bb<\/strong>, which used to mean only \u2018light\u2019<\/em> but came to mean also \u2018world\u2019<\/em>, and then even turned into \u2018society\u2019<\/em>, is only one example. Most of the words that I have collected for you in today\u2019s post are FULL homonyms, meaning they have identical pronunciation and paradigms, like \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043b\u044e\u0447\u00bb<\/strong> [1. key; 2. wrench; 3. spring] in its different meanings. Some of them, however, are PARTIAL homonyms, meaning they do not share all the forms which they both possess. An example of a partial homonym is the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0438\u0440\u00bb<\/strong> which does not have plural forms in its sense of \u2018peace\u2019<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This post began with a photo \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u0438\u0437 <\/em><\/strong>\u0422\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044b <\/em><\/strong>\u0432 <\/em><\/strong>\u041e<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u043c\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 <\/em><\/strong>\u043e<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/a>\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [from Tara in Omsk Oblast\u2019 (Region)<\/a>] and let\u2019s finish with another one. I don\u2019t think it needs a caption; it is fairly self-explanatory\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

One interesting couple of homonyms \u2013 and funny, in a sort of silly way \u2013 is the imperfect verb \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u043d\u0430\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> which can mean \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u043d\u0430\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> in \u2018to chase, drive, pursue\u2019<\/em> and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u043d\u0430\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> \u2018to distil\u2019<\/em>. Knowing this you can state the obvious:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041e\u043d <\/strong>\u0433\u043d\u0430\u043b <\/strong>\u0441\u0430\u043c\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043d<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [He distilled moonshine (lit. he distilled vodka at home\/distilled home-made liquor)<\/em>].<\/p>\n

Or play with it like this:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041e\u043d \u0433\u043d\u0430\u043b \u0441\u0430\u043c\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043d \u2013 \u043a\u0442\u043e<\/span>-\u0442\u043e \u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043b!\u00bb<\/strong> [He chased his moonshine \u2013 someone had stolen it!].<\/p>\n

Another example is using the adjective \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u0433\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb <\/strong>of which there also are two: \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u0433\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb <\/strong>as in \u2018light\u2019<\/em> and \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u0433\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> as in \u2018easy\u2019<\/em>. If you notice something called \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u0433\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0439\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0443\u0440\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> in a Russian grocery store don\u2019t assume this is \u2018easy yogurt\u2019<\/em> \u2013 as apposed to the more common \u2018difficult yogurt\u2019 (okay, so that was irony)<\/em> \u2013 but rather make the assumption that it is \u2018light yogurt\u2019<\/em>. If somebody mentions a female as being \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u0433\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> do not try and do a direct translation of this expression, for it does not mean \u2018a girl of light manners\u2019<\/em> \u2013 it means \u2018prostitute\u2019<\/em>, thus using the other connotation of the adjective \u00ab<\/strong>\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u0433\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> – easy.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of homonyms \u2013 and I\u2019m sure you all know the difference between \u00ab<\/strong>\u044f\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [tongue] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u044f\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [language] already? If you see the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u044f\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> on the menu at a Russian restaurant,\u00a0you should be\u00a0aware that they\u2019re NOT serving some kind of \u2018language\u2019<\/em> \u2013 but tongue!<\/p>\n

Here is a list of some of the more common homonyms in Russian language \u2013 feel free to add more to it in the comments! After some of the words I have placed phrases that use these homonyms in such a way that it might cause confusion for a non-native speaker \u2013 though all of them are common, almost standard phrases in Russian. The correct understanding is given in English translation with letters in red<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [time];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [tense (grammatical term)<\/em>]:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0412\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f <\/strong>\u0433\u043b\u0430\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [The time of the verb\/The verb tense<\/span>].<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0441\u00bb<\/strong> [voice];<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u0441\u00bb<\/strong> [vote].<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0433\u00bb<\/strong> [duty];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0433\u00bb<\/strong> [debt]:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0427\u0443<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e <\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0433\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [The feeling of debt\/The feeling of duty<\/span>].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u0432\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [victim];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u0432\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [sacrifice]:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u0440\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u0432\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [Bring a victim\/Bring a sacrifice<\/span>].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [sky];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [heaven].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u043e<\/span><\/strong>\u043f\u044b\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [experience];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u043e<\/span><\/strong>\u043f\u044b\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [experiment]:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> [floor];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> [sex]:<\/p>\n

And this one is all about intonation \u2013 is it a question \u00ab<\/strong>\u041a\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b?\u00bb<\/strong> [What sex\/gender (is it)<\/em>?<\/span>], or is it an excited appraisal using at least one exclamation mark: \u00ab<\/strong>\u041a\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b!\u00bb<\/strong> [What a floor!<\/span>].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> [novel];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> [romance]:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [advice];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [council]:<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [grass];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [herb]:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041a\u0443\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0442\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0443<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [Smoke herb\/Smoke grass\/Smoke weed<\/span>].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u044f\u0436\u0451<\/span>\u043b\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [heavy];<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u044f\u0436\u0451<\/span>\u043b\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [difficult].<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Not always can I in my gigantic, personal library with photographs from Russia find something that illustrates \u00ab\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 \u0432 \u0442\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0443\u00bb [perfectly] the topic of the post. Then I do like this: pick a random pic and hope somehow it fits! This is \u00ab\u0437\u0430\u043a\u0430\u0442 \u0432 \u0433\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\u0435 \u0422\u0430\u0440\u0435 \u0432 \u0421\u0438\u0431\u0438\u0440\u0438 \u043e\u0441\u0435\u043d\u044c\u044e 2005 (\u0434\u0432\u0435 \u0442\u044b\u0441\u044f\u0447\u0438 \u043f\u044f\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e) \u0433\u043e\u0434\u0430\u00bb [a…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":1325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,7828,7826],"tags":[10922,10921,78,79,1237,1248,1430,1482,10926,10936,10937,10938,10929,10933,10927,10930,10939,10925,10923,10924,10940,10941,10942,1674,1696,10932,10931,10943,10944,10934,10928,10935],"class_list":["post-1320","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","category-russian-for-beginners","category-when-in-russia","tag-difficulties-of-russian-language","tag-homographs","tag-homonyms","tag-homophones","tag-russian-grammar","tag-russian-language","tag-1430","tag-1482","tag-10926","tag-10936","tag-10937","tag-10938","tag-10929","tag-10933","tag-10927","tag-10930","tag-10939","tag-10925","tag-10923","tag-10924","tag-10940","tag-10941","tag-10942","tag-1674","tag-1696","tag-10932","tag-10931","tag-10943","tag-10944","tag-10934","tag-10928","tag-10935"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t