{"id":2227,"date":"2011-07-28T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2011-07-28T08:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2227"},"modified":"2011-09-28T00:20:13","modified_gmt":"2011-09-28T00:20:13","slug":"russian-names-for-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/russian-names-for-pets\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian Names for Pets"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Russian<\/a>This is my cat Xander when he was just a kitty. On the surface of it, Xander is not a typical Russian name for a cat. Unless you know that I derived it from “\u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0440”<\/strong> [Alexandr]. Yep, every Russian woman has her Alexandr<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Names are endlessly fascinating, aren\u2019t they? Ok, maybe \u201cendlessly\u201d is a bit over the top, but they are interesting nevertheless. One of the readers, David (whom you might remember for his wonderful guest posts, Million Scarlet Roses<\/a>, Cranes<\/a>, Are There Too Many Letters in Russian Alphabet?<\/a> and The 200-Ruble Question<\/a>), gave me an idea of writing a post about Russian pet names.<\/p>\n

But first thing first, how do you say \u201cpet\u201d in Russian. On Facebook I used the phrase \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> which several people found too formal and not at all common. I do agree with you.<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> is an interesting word though and deserves some attention. Its most general meaning is a nursling. So \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> can mean a student, a child, a pet or even a sapling. If you feel that someone is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [absorbs] either food or knowledge or love and care, you can call them \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong>. And the place where \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0446\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> get their sustenance, spiritual or otherwise, is called \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For example, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0446\u044b <\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0435\u0433\u043e <\/strong>\u0438\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0430 <\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u044c <\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u043d\u0438\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0442 <\/strong>\u043e\u0442\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044b<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0439\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u0430\u0434\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [many former students of our college now hold positions of responsibility with the local and regional government].<\/p>\n

Or \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430 <\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0447\u0430 <\/strong>\u0431\u044b\u043b\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u043e <\/strong>\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0446\u0435\u0432 <\/strong>\u0444\u0440\u0443\u043a\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0445 <\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u044c\u0435\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [our task was to obtain one hundred fruit tree saplings from a local nursery].<\/p>\n

To distinguish pets from any other \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0446\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> types, pets are usually referred to as \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0435\u0442\u044b\u0440\u0451\u0445\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [four-legged pet], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [feathered pet], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0443\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [furry pet], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0445\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [shaggy pet], etc. If the only pet you have is a Tamagotchi, it\u2019s your \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0438\u0440\u0442\u0443\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [virtual pet].<\/p>\n

And yet, the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0438\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> is not something Russians use in everyday conversations, unless they want to add a measure of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0430\u0440\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [sarcasm or vitriol] to their speech. So what do they say instead?<\/p>\n

There is a phrase \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0435 <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [house pet], that is used either in plural form<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0423 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0441 <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0448\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e <\/strong>\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0442 <\/strong>\u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0432\u043a\u0430 <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0438\u0445 <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0445\u00bb <\/strong>\u00a0[We will soon have a house pets expo at our school]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0410 \u0432\u0430\u043c \u043a\u0430\u043a\u0438<\/span>\u0435 \u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0431\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0435 \u043d\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u044f\u0442\u0441\u044f?\u00bb<\/strong> [What type of pets do you like the most?]<\/p>\n

Or, if in its singular form, to talk about a pet, not the pet.<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0428\u0438\u043d\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u043b\u0430 – <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0435 <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [Chinchilla is a wonderful house pet].<\/p>\n

A euphemism \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u044f <\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0438 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u044c\u0448\u0438\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [our little brothers] also means pets and is used similarly.<\/p>\n

But in general, Russians would first ask \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443 <\/strong>\u0432\u0430\u0441 <\/strong>\u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u0436\u0438\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0435?\u00bb<\/strong> [do you have pets?] and then, after hearing the answer, which usually includes the type of animal, would ask \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a <\/strong>\u0437\u043e\u0432\u0443<\/span>\u0442 <\/strong>\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0443 <\/strong>\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0443?\u00bb<\/strong> [what\u2019s your cat\u2019s name?]. Or \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043e\u0431\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [dog], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u043f\u0443\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [parakeet or parrot], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0445\u043e\u043c\u044f\u0447\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [hamster], etc.<\/p>\n

And now we are back to the names. Unlike personal names, pets names in Russia show almost infinite variety. Yet, some \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [here: pet names] are more common than others. Besides, there are some \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> that are immediately recognizable as names for cats or dogs.<\/p>\n

Such names for \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> (male dog) and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> (female dog) include<\/p>\n