The two of the most frequently used words in the Russian language, the two words without which it is simply impossible to get around in Russia, even when one isn’t trying to be the least polite, are actually more than just two words. I believe that anyone studying any language at all sooner or later will arrive at the point where it feels like your soul is screaming out loud for an etymologic dictionary (for those studying language but who have yet to arrive at this soul-screaming point \u2013 an etymologic dictionary explains the origin of words rather than their meaning). It does not take long when in possession of such a dictionary before one realizes that the most common greeting phrase in Russia, \u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435<\/b> (or \u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439<\/b>, a variant which is a little less formal, yet still miles away from being as informal as the only-among-close-friends \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0442<\/b>) actually is short for the original greeting of \u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0430 \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0430\u044e<\/b>, meaning \u201cI wish [you] health\u201d. It can also be said that \u0437\u0434\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0443\u0439\u0442\u0435<\/b> means \u201cI wish you to be healthy\u201d. Both of these meanings underline, in my opinion, the eternal Russian dread of disease. Therefore it cannot come as any surprise to anyone familiar with this culture that its people would have a greeting that means wishing everyone health all the time.<\/p>\n
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The original meaning of the second word is not much of a surprise either, and ever the more interesting for of it. The origin of the word \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e<\/b> makes a natural connection with the long tradition of Orthodoxy in Russia. During many centuries the phrase used to thanking people \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438 \u0432\u0430\u0441\/\u0442\u0435\u0431\u044f \u0411\u043e\u0433 <\/b>[God save you] shrunk into the short \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e<\/b>, which is now the word used by people on a daily basis from Kalingrad to Vladivostok. With time the phrase was turned into a substantive, and we are now allwoded to say things like \u0441\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0438\u0431\u043e<\/b> \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u043e\u0435<\/b> [big thank you], when we really want to express our gratitude.<\/p>\n
As for the third most used word in the Russian language, that hard-to-pronounce-yet-of-absolute-necessity \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0443\u0439\u0441\u0442\u0430 <\/b>[please; certainly! by all means!; you\u2019re welcome!; don\u2019t mention it], I\u2019m as lost as the next foreigner living in Russia to what its origin might be. It could have come from the adverb \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0443\u0439<\/b> [perhaps, very likely, it may be] that in turn comes from the verb \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>, as used in \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0440\u043e \u043f\u043e\u0436\u0430\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b> [welcome]. It is the perfect to the imperfect verb \u0436\u0430\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c<\/b>, which means \u201cto grant, to bestow, to reward, to favor, to regard with favor\u201d. That\u2019s my guess, anyway. Anyone who might have a qualified guess of their own about what its etymology might be? Or maybe someone actually knows?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The two of the most frequently used words in the Russian language, the two words without which it is simply impossible to get around in Russia, even when one isn’t trying to be the least polite, are actually more than just two words. I believe that anyone studying any language at all sooner or later…<\/p>\n