{"id":666,"date":"2010-04-07T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2010-04-07T10:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=666"},"modified":"2010-04-04T23:48:56","modified_gmt":"2010-04-04T23:48:56","slug":"russian-english-linguistic-perpendicular","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/russian-english-linguistic-perpendicular\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian-English Linguistic Perpendicular"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long time ago I read a Russian sci-fi story that was titled, if I\u2019m not mistaken, \u00ab<\/strong>\u041b\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u0435\u0440\u043f\u0435\u043d\u0434\u0438\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044f<\/span>\u0440\u00bb <\/strong>[Linguistic Perpendicular]. In this short story, we, the Earthlings, were trying to establish communications with the aliens. The aliens were very friendly and peaceful, but unfortunately every word in their language meant some kind of curse word in our language. Everything they said or wrote to us sounded unbelievably foul and offensive and made for a treacherous and exceedingly difficult communications process. The entire situation was referred to as linguistic perpendicular.<\/p>\n

I am frequently reminded of this story when I speak or read Russian. There are so many absolutely benign Russian words that sound offensive or obscene in English.\u00a0 Here are some examples (you\u2019ll have to read the Russian words out loud to get the exact idea):<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0424\u0438\u043b\u0444\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> \u2013 this is probably my favorite example of linguistic perpendicular! It\u2019s definitely not something you mention to your Grandma in response to her question about your plans for college. Just imagine this exchange:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u0411\u0430<\/span>\u0431\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0430: \u041d\u0443, \u041c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430, \u0442\u044b \u0443\u0436\u0435<\/span> \u0440\u0435\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e<\/span> \u0443\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0435?\u00bb <\/strong>[Well,\u00a0 Mary, have you decided what you want to do in college?]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430: \u0411\u0430, \u044f \u0451\u0449\u0435 \u043d\u0435 \u0443\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0430, \u043d\u043e \u043f\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0443\u044e \u043f\u043e\u0439\u0442\u0438<\/span> \u043d\u0430 \u0444\u0438\u043b\u0444\u0430<\/span>\u043a.\u00bb <\/strong>[I\u2019m not quite sure, Gran, but I think I might go for \u0444\u0438\u043b\u0444\u0430<\/span>\u043a<\/strong>.]<\/p>\n

Unthinkable! And yet, Russian grandma might smile happily and say to her dear \u041c\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0435\u043d\u044c\u043a\u0430<\/strong>: \u00ab<\/strong>\u0422\u044b <\/strong>\u0443 <\/strong>\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044f<\/span> <\/strong>\u0442\u0430\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u044f <\/strong>\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u043c\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430, <\/strong>\u0441\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e <\/strong>\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0448\u044c <\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u043a\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0443<\/span>\u043a!\u00bb <\/strong>[You are so smart, you\u2019ll get PhD in no time!]. That\u2019s because Masha\u2019s grandma knows that \u0444\u0438\u043b\u0444\u0430<\/span>\u043a <\/strong>stands for \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u043b\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [faculty of philology or department of language and literature].<\/p>\n

Of course, Masha might change her mind and instead go for \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0430\u0442\u0444\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> \u2013 \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043c\u0430\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [department of mathematics], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u0437\u0444\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> \u2013 \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0438\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [department of physics], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0443\u0440\u0444\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> \u2013 \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0443\u0440\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [department of journalism], or even \u00ab<\/strong>\u044e\u0440\u0444\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> \u2013 \u00ab<\/strong>\u044e\u0440\u0438\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [department of law].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0424\u0430\u0440\u0442\u00bb<\/strong>\u2013 this is another good one and a bit of digging around on Internet got me a perfect example. What do you think of a company called \u00ab<\/strong>\u0424\u0430\u0440\u0442-CB<\/strong>\u00bb? What do you think they make? According to this company\u2019s website<\/a>, they have an established presence in print media market, supplying a wide variety of clients with self-adhesive and thermo-adhesive labels.<\/p>\n

So they are unlikely to go global with a name that starts with the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u0440\u0442\u00bb;<\/strong> but in Russia \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u0440\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> is a good thing. So good, as a matter of fact, that you want \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u0430\u0440\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> to go your way. For \u00ab\u0444\u0430\u0440\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> means luck, especially dumb luck.<\/p>\n

Oh, how I long to one day call my brother and tell him:<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u044c \u0441\u0435\u0431\u0435<\/span>, \u044f \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0438\u0433\u0440\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u043b\u043e\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u044e! \u0414\u0430, \u043c\u0438\u043b\u043b\u0438\u043e<\/span>\u043d \u0431\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u0441\u043e\u0432. \u0412\u043e\u0442 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0444\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u043e!\u00bb<\/strong> [Imagine, I won the lottery! Yes, a million bucks. Luck rolled my way!]<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0411\u0443<\/span>\u0431\u043b\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> \u2013 a few years ago we got this cutest cuddliest orange tabby kitten. When he curled in my lap, with the tip of his tail touching his little pink nose, he looked so adorable that I immediately thought of naming him \u00ab<\/strong>\u0411\u0443<\/span>\u0431\u043b\u0438\u043a\u00bb.<\/strong> Fortunately, my hubby interfered in the naming process and pointed out all the drawbacks of the name, including the difficulty of pronouncing the soft \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> and all the raised eyebrows and chuckles we\u2019d get from our non-Russian friends, neighbors and staff at a vet clinic.<\/p>\n

He suggested naming the cat Bagel, which is the actual translation of \u00ab\u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0431\u043b\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong>, but it just wasn\u2019t the same. We ended up naming the cat Xander.<\/p>\n

Speaking of naming\u2026 The only way to rescue one of the most beautiful (in my opinion) Russian names, \u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u044f\u00bb,<\/strong>\u00a0 is to change it to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0410\u043d\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> and then transliterate.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my final word for the day \u2013 \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0430\u043c\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u00bb.<\/strong> Let\u2019s say you want to do some landscaping and an experienced Russian gardener suggests you plant \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0430\u043c\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> around your house. Relax and don\u2019t cover your kids\u2019 ears. Your gardening neighbor might not be very imaginative, but he definitely doesn\u2019t mean any offence. He simply suggests to plant some good old boxwoods.<\/p>\n

Have you had a first-hand experience of a Russia-English linguistic perpendicular?<\/p>\n

P.S.<\/strong> This is probably mostly for Russian readers – guys, if you know the book I’m talking about, the one with the story about \u043b\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u043f\u0435\u043d\u0434\u0438\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044f\u0440<\/strong>, please-please let me know the author!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Long time ago I read a Russian sci-fi story that was titled, if I\u2019m not mistaken, \u00ab\u041b\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0432\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u043f\u0435\u043d\u0434\u0438\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044f\u0440\u00bb [Linguistic Perpendicular]. In this short story, we, the Earthlings, were trying to establish communications with the aliens. The aliens were very friendly and peaceful, but unfortunately every word in their language meant some kind of curse word…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,8],"tags":[8106,1248,8105],"class_list":["post-666","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-culture","category-language","tag-funny-russian-words","tag-russian-language","tag-strange-russian-words"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/666","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\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=666"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":667,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/666\/revisions\/667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}