{"id":14809,"date":"2021-11-19T17:40:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T17:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=14809"},"modified":"2021-11-19T17:40:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T17:40:10","slug":"the-secret-life-of-%d0%bf%d0%be%d0%b4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/the-secret-life-of-%d0%bf%d0%be%d0%b4\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cSecret\u201d Life of \u043f\u043e\u0434-"},"content":{"rendered":"

You have probably seen \u043f\u043e\u0434<\/strong> in some way or another in your studies of Russian. It is a common preposition that usually means \u201cunder.\u201d As a prefix attached to verbs and nouns it also has a literal meaning of \u201cunder.\u201d \u041f\u043e\u0434<\/u><\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong> means \u201cto sub<\/u>scribe.\u201d \u041f\u043e\u0434<\/u><\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u0440\u043a\u043d\u0443\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> means \u201cto under<\/u>line.\u201d Perhaps you have read Fyodor Dostoyevsky\u2019s \u00ab<\/strong>\u0417\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0441\u043a\u0438 <\/strong>\u0438\u0437 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434<\/u><\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u044c\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> Notes from the Under<\/u>ground<\/em>. And even a \u043f\u043e\u0434<\/u><\/strong>\u0432\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u043b\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u043a\u0430<\/strong>, which is the Russian for \u201csub<\/u>marine.\u201d<\/p>\n

But aside from the physical meaning, \u043f\u043e\u0434-<\/strong> has a much darker side that is worth exploring. Attach it to usual verbs and we get the shady or secretive equivalent to that verb. Let\u2019s take a dive into the secret world of \u043f\u043e\u0434-<\/strong> as a prefix with a few examples. Please note that the examples below do not represent the only meaning of these verbs, as in many cases they also have totally innocuous meanings.<\/p>\n

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\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 Rene Asmussen: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0434\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c\/<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0301<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The root, \u0432\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c\/<\/strong>\u0432\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0301<\/strong> is a motion verb that means to lead or run something. But with \u043f\u043e\u0434<\/strong>– we get a new verb that also means lead or run someone\u2026right into the ground. Yes, this verb means to let someone down or to fail them. \u042f \u0442\u0430\u043a \u0438 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u043b, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043e\u043d \u043d\u0430\u0441 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0432\u0435\u0434\u0451\u0442!<\/strong> I knew that he would let us down!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0434\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\/<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c <\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u0413\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> means to look at or gaze upon something. It\u2019s a pretty innocent verb. But with \u043f\u043e\u0434<\/strong>– attached to it, it transforms to \u201cto peek, to spy.\u201d If someone is playing \u043f\u0440\u044f\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u043a\u0438<\/strong> hide-and-seek, you can shout to the person who is \u201cit\u201d: \u041d\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0439!<\/strong> No peeking!<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 Faisal Rahman: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043b\u0443\u0301<\/strong>\u0448\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\/<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043b\u0443\u0301<\/strong>\u0448\u0430\u0442\u044c <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Here we have the verb \u0441\u043b\u0443\u0301<\/strong>\u0448\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> to listen, but when we have \u043f\u043e\u0434- we get the shady version of to listen: to eavesdrop! This verb would take a direct object, unlike in English: \u041e\u043d\u0430\u0301 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043b\u0443\u0301<\/strong>\u0448\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442 <\/strong>\u0438\u0445 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u0440.<\/strong> She is listening in on their conversation. What is your favorite way to listen in on conversations \u0437\u0430 <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0435\u043d\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u0439 <\/strong>on the other side of the wall<\/em>? \u0421 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0449\u044c\u044e <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043a\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/strong> with a glass<\/em>? \u0421 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0449\u044c\u044e <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0442\u043e\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u043f\u0430<\/strong> with a stethoscope<\/em>?<\/p>\n

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\u0424\u043e\u0442\u043e \u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 Magda Ehlers: Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0434\u0434\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\/<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0434\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0430\u0442\u044c <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Here we have the shady prefix \u043f\u043e\u0434<\/strong>– with the root \u0434\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> to do, to make<\/em>, from which we can extract the meaning of \u201cto falsify, to forge.\u201d \u041f\u043e\u0434\u0434\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> \u043f\u0430\u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0430<\/strong>\u0301 means to make fake passports. \u041f\u043e\u0434\u0434\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u043f\u0438\u0441\u044c<\/strong> is to forge a signature. Something that is falsified or forged is called a \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0434\u0435\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u043a\u0430<\/strong> counterfeit<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0434\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c\/<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u041c\u0435\u043d\u044f\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> means to change, but with our shady \u043f\u043e\u0434<\/strong>– prefix we get \u201cto substitute secretly.\u201d This verb is used in this phrase: \u0422\u0435\u0431\u044f\u0301 <\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0431\u0443\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u043b\u0438<\/strong> You\u2019re not acting like yourself<\/em> (lit. It\u2019s as if they secretly changed you for someone else).<\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e\u0434\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u0441\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\/<\/span><\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0301<\/strong>\u0441\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/strong> and \u043f\u043e\u0434\u043a\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c\/<\/span><\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u043a\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u043d\u0443\u0442\u044c<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Both of these verbs have a literal meaning, which is \u201cto throw something up in the air.\u201d They also mean \u201cto give someone a lift.\u201d But aside from them, they also have a secret, dark side. \u0411\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> and \u043a\u0438\u0434\u0430\u0301<\/strong>\u0442\u044c<\/strong> have the simple meaning of \u201cto throw,\u201d but with our dark and shady \u043f\u043e\u0434<\/strong>– we get \u201cto plant.\u201d \u041f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0446\u0435\u0301\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0431\u0440\u043e\u0301\u0441\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0435\u043c\u0443\u0301 \u043d\u0430\u0440\u043a\u043e\u0301\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0438.<\/strong> The<\/em> police<\/em> planted<\/em> drugs<\/em> on<\/em> him<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

We can also see this verb in the word \u043f\u043e\u0434\u043a\u0438\u0301<\/strong>\u0434\u044b\u0448<\/strong> foundling<\/em>, a child that was secretly left on someone\u2019s doorstep.<\/p>\n

These are just a few interesting examples of this dark side of meaning for this prefix. Of course, \u043f\u043e\u0434- has many other meanings, which we will explore in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

You have probably seen \u043f\u043e\u0434 in some way or another in your studies of Russian. It is a common preposition that usually means \u201cunder.\u201d As a prefix attached to verbs and nouns it also has a literal meaning of \u201cunder.\u201d \u041f\u043e\u0434\u043f\u0438\u0441\u0430\u0301\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f means \u201cto subscribe.\u201d \u041f\u043e\u0434\u0447\u0435\u0440\u043a\u043d\u0443\u0301\u0442\u044c means \u201cto underline.\u201d Perhaps you have read Fyodor Dostoyevsky\u2019s \u00ab\u0417\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0301\u0441\u043a\u0438…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":14812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[6,8,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14809","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grammar","category-language","category-vocabulary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14809"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14813,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14809\/revisions\/14813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}