{"id":3574,"date":"2012-08-14T08:00:40","date_gmt":"2012-08-14T08:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=3574"},"modified":"2014-07-17T18:40:21","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T18:40:21","slug":"filler-is-like-filler-does","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/filler-is-like-filler-does\/","title":{"rendered":"Filler Is Like Filler Does"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It occurred to me the other day that one of the (many) subjects we haven\u2019t discussed on the Russian blog is the subject of fillers. Somehow we have been, like, totally overlooking the lorem ipsum of Russian language and it\u2019s basically time to, you know, just do it.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the first thing you need to know about Russian equivalent of all those likes, sweets, awesomes, dudes <\/em>and whatevers<\/em> – they are used like all the time at like all levels. Sure, dudes who overuse them are made fun of, but really, it\u2019s like \u0432 \u0447\u0443\u0436\u043e<\/span>\u043c \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0437\u0443<\/span> \u0438 \u0441\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0430 \u0432\u0438\u0434\u043d\u0430<\/span>, \u0430 \u0432 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0451<\/span>\u043c \u0438 \u0431\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043d\u0430<\/span> \u043d\u0435 \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u0448\u044c, \u0442\u0438<\/span>\u043f\u0430<\/strong> (looking for a speck of sawdust in another\u2019s eye while not noticing a log in one\u2019s own, kinda).<\/p>\n

Of course, most of the times we use filler is in spoken language which makes it annoying, but also fairly easy to ignore: \u0432 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e<\/span> \u0443<\/span>\u0445\u043e \u0432\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u043e, \u0432 \u0434\u0440\u0443\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0435 \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0435\u043b\u043e<\/strong> (into one ear and out of another). Except, like, lately our conversational style started to dominate our written communication, what with all the chats, status updates, e-mails and what have you. You know what I mean.<\/p>\n

You might be interested to learn that \u201cfiller words\u201d translate into Russian as \u0441\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>-\u043f\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044b<\/strong>, meaning words-parasites. Apart from sounding gross, it sort of does a better job at exposing the true nature of such words. Filler sounds too innocent, IMHO. Now, parasites don\u2019t just infest, they suck the juices out of their host, in this case out of \u0432\u0435\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043c\u043e\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u044f\u0437\u044b<\/span>\u043a<\/strong> (the great and mighty Russian language).<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t be too quick to dismiss filler words. There are at least a couple <\/del>three of good reasons to learn them:<\/p>\n

1. They are being widely used both in conversations and in popular culture. Unless you plan on reading nothing, but the Russian classics, you will need to know these words.<\/p>\n

2. Do you know there\u2019s a theory that cross-fertilization aka sex evolved as a way of fighting off parasites? I\u2019m not saying there\u2019s direct correlation between how many filler words you use and how much action you get (case in point – \u0421\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u043a \u0438 \u0414\u0438\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u043d<\/strong> from \u041d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430 \u0420\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430<\/strong>, but more on this later). I\u2019m just saying that, hey, it\u2019s like you never know, dude, and there\u2019s gotta be a good reason for things.<\/p>\n

3. Learning filler words might appeal to your fun, competitive, or obsessive side. Can you, like, put together a sentence completely out of filler words? (Hint<\/em>: this lady<\/a> could) How about explaining a complex idea? Or putting a new spin on literary classics, such as \u043d\u0443, \u0442\u0438<\/span>\u043f\u0430 – \u044f \u0432\u0430\u043c \u043f\u0438\u0448\u0443<\/span>, \u0447\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u0435\u0449\u0451<\/span> \u0432 \u043d\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0435<\/strong>. This is a riff on \u042f \u0412\u0430\u043c \u043f\u0438\u0448\u0443<\/span>, \u0447\u0435\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u0436\u0435 \u0431\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0435<\/strong> (I write – what more is there to say?), the famous opening line of Tatiana\u2019s letter to Eugene Onegin.<\/p>\n

Hopefully you\u2019re eager to learn some \u0441\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>-\u0441\u043e\u0440\u043d\u044f\u043a\u0438<\/span><\/strong> (filler words, lit: word-weeds), so here are some of the most common ones:<\/p>\n