{"id":2809,"date":"2012-05-30T03:04:38","date_gmt":"2012-05-30T03:04:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2809"},"modified":"2014-07-17T18:14:04","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T18:14:04","slug":"vroom-vroom-vom-verbs-of-motion-on-a-harley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/vroom-vroom-vom-verbs-of-motion-on-a-harley\/","title":{"rendered":"Vroom, vroom, VOM! (Verbs of Motion on a Harley)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here in Washington DC and the \u043f\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b<\/strong> (“suburbs”) surrounding it, \u043a\u0430\u043d\u0443<\/span>\u043d \u0414\u043d\u044f<\/span> \u043f\u043e\u043c\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong> (“the day before Memorial Day”) becomes the occasion for a really big event — a privately organized \u043f\u0430\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0434 \u0431\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u043a\u0435\u0440\u043e\u0432<\/strong> (“biker parade”), entirely \u043d\u0430 \u043c\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0446\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u043b\u0430\u0445<\/strong> (“on motorcycles”)! In English, it’s called “Rolling Thunder”; in Russian, it’s been translated as \u0420\u0430\u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0442 \u0433\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0430<\/strong> (“A resounding peal of thunder”) or \u0413\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u043c \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u043e\u043b\u0451\u0441\u0430\u0445<\/strong> (“Thunder on wheels”).<\/p>\n

First organized by veterans of the Vietnam War, Rolling Thunder has become a \u0435\u0436\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0430\u044f \u0432\u0430\u0448\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0442\u0440\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u044f<\/strong> (“annual DC tradition”) that honors not only American \u0432\u043e\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0436\u0430\u0449\u0438\u0435<\/strong> (“military personnel”) \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u044b\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0431\u043b\u0438 \u0432 \u0431\u043e\u044e<\/span><\/strong> (“who perished in battle”), but has a special focus on those who whose fate remains officially unknown — those designated as \u043f\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0435 \u0431\u0435<\/span>\u0437 \u0432\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/strong> (lit., “lost without a trace”, i.e., “MIA”) and also \u0432\u043e\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u043f\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435<\/strong> (“prisoners of war; POWs”).<\/p>\n

Even if, like me, you’re not generally a devoted \u043f\u043e\u043a\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u0438\u043a \u043c\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0446\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u043b\u043e\u0432<\/strong> (“fan of motorcycles”), it’s difficult not to be thrilled by the spectacle of Rolling Thunder — it’s such a colorful mix of \u0438<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f\u044f \u0442\u043e\u0440\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (“sincere solemnity”), and \u0432\u0435\u0441\u0451\u043b\u0430\u044f \u0432\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (“cheerful vulgarity”), and above all, it’s HUGE.<\/p>\n

A Look at Verbs of Motion<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Before we continue with “Rolling Thunder,” \u0434\u0430\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u0441\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u0435\u043c \u043a\u0440\u044e<\/span>\u043a<\/strong> (“let’s take a detour”) for a little refresher on so-called “Verbs Of Motion” (VOMs).<\/p>\n

If you want to say “to ride a motorcycle,” two Verbs Of Motion (or more precisely, two VOM pairs) are commonly used. The first pair you may already know because it’s one of the most important VOMs and tends to be introduced in Russian courses early on: \u0435<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u0438\u0442\u044c\/\u0435<\/span>\u0445\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong> (“to travel by vehicular means or on horseback”).<\/p>\n

The second is \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f\/\u043a\u0430\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong> (“to ride\/glide\/roll [on something]”) — a VOM that’s heard particularly often when you’re talking about certain means of conveyance that some people ride just for the fun of it, from \u043c\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0446\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u043b\u044b<\/strong> to \u043a\u043e\u043d\u044c\u043a\u0438<\/span><\/strong> (“ice skates”) to \u0441\u0451\u0440\u0444\u0431\u043e\u0440\u0434\u044b<\/strong> (take a guess!). The derived noun \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/strong> (“riding”) can be used (with \u043d\u0430<\/strong> + prep.) to name such sports: E.g., \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043a\u0435<\/strong> (“boating” as a pastime).<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that all four of these infinitives — \u0435\u0437\u0434\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/strong><\/a> and \u0435\u0445\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/strong><\/a>, \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong><\/a> and \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong><\/a>) are imperfective.<\/p>\n

Because the key distinction between a mere “motion-related verb” and an actual Verb Of Motion\u2122<\/strong> is that a “true VOM” has not one but two imperfectives: one “indeterminate,” the other “determinate.”<\/p>\n

Indeterminate VOMs<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u0415<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u0438\u0442\u044c<\/strong> and \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f<\/strong> are both “indeterminate” imperfectives, also known as “multidirectional.” Generally speaking, indeterminate VOMs are used to express:<\/p>\n