Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

considerable extent this spectrum of register runs parallel to that which ranges from the colloquial form of spoken Russian at one end to a

bookish form of the written language at the other (although, as has

already been noted in the previous section, certain spoken media may be more formal than certain written media).

It is important to appreciate that the boundaries between linguistic registers are constantly shifting. In particular it should be noted with 9

1

Varieties of language and register

regard to modern, post-Soviet Russian that what only recently might

have been considered improper at a higher level than R1 may now be

considered quite acceptable, or at least might be widely used, in R2.

Similarly, what was recently felt to be sub-standard may now be

widespread in R1. This lowering of boundaries and the broadening of

what was previously considered the standard, and also reactions to

these changes, are examined in more detail in 1.6 below.

Passages exemplifying the various registers described in this section are provided, with translation and commentary, in Chapter 2.

1.3.1

The colloquial register (R1)

The principal function of this register is social intercourse. Its medium is dialogue or conversation and its field is one’s personal relationships and practical everyday dealings with others. It is therefore distinguished by relative spontaneity, simplicity and the absence of forethought or technical or official tone. Non-lexical features, such as intonation, pauses, stress, rhythm and tempo, play an important part in it. Meaning is reinforced by non-linguistic resources such as facial expression and gesture. The function, medium and field of the register account for

many of the factors which it tends to exhibit in the areas of

pronunciation, vocabulary and phraseology, word-formation,

morphology and syntax.

r

pronunciation

Articulation is often careless and indistinct, and vowels may be reduced or consonants lost as a result of lazy or rapid delivery, e.g. gr u (говорю´), zdrássti (здрa´вствуй), u t i a´ (y тeбя´), tóka (то´лько), vašš e´ (вообщe´), p iis a´t (пятьдeся´т). Local accent is marked (e.g. with a´кaньe and associated phenomena оr о´кaньe, treatment of g as occlusive or fricative; see 1.5). Stress may differ from the accepted norm (e.g.

до´говор, при´говор, позво´нишь, рaзви´лось, рaзви´лись instead

of догово´р, пригово´р, позвони´шь, рaзвило´сь, рaзвили´сь,

respectively).

r

vocabulary

This tends to be basic and concrete since the register is concerned with the practicalities of life. All parts of speech are represented in numerous colloquial forms, i.e. nouns (e.g. зaди´рa, bully ; кaрто´шкa, potato ; толкотня´, crush, scrum ); adjectives (e.g. долговя´зый, lanky ; дото´шный, meticulous ; мудрёный, odd ; рaботя´щий, hard-working ; рaсхля´бaнный, lax ); verbs (e.g. aртa´читься, to dig one’s heels in (fig); дры´хнуть and вздрeмну´ть (pf ), to have a nap ; вопи´ть, to wail, howl ; впихну´ть (pf ), to cram in ; гро´хнуть(ся) (pf ), to bang, crash ; eхи´дничaть, to gossip maliciously ; куролe´сить, to play tricks ; мe´шкaть, to linger, loiter ; огоро´шить (pf ), to take aback ; пeрeбa´рщивaть, to overdo (lit to make too much borshch ); помeрe´ть (pf ), to die ; прихворну´ть (pf ), to be unwell ; сeкрe´тничaть, to be secretive ; тaрaто´рить, to jabber, natter ; тормоши´ть, to pull about, pester ); adverbs (e.g. бa´стa, enough ; вконe´ц, completely ; втихомо´лку, оn the quiet ; дaвнe´нько, for quite some time now ; исподтишкa´, on the sly ; ми´гом, in a flash ; многовa´то, a bit too 10

1.3

Registers

much/many ; нaгишо´м, stark naked ; нeдосу´г, haven’t/hasn’t got time (to do sth) ; помaлe´ньку, gradually, gently, tolerably ; потихо´ньку, slowly, softly, on the sly ; хорошe´нько, well and truly ; чaстe´нько, quite often ; чу´точку, a tiny bit ); and pronouns (э´тaкий, what a/such a ). Some colloquial words are derived from the same root as non-colloquial words (e.g.

кaрто´шкa, cf. кaрто´фeль; помeрe´ть, cf. умeрe´ть).

r The speaker has frequent recourse to various types of filler words (e.g.

знa´чит, ти´пa, кa´к бы, в смы´слe), hesitation markers (e.g. гм),

comment clauses (e.g. прeдстa´вь сeбe´; see 5.3 on all of these), and attempts to engage an interlocutor, real or imagined (e.g. знaéшь,

понимaéтe, ви´дитe). The language’s means of expressing emotion,

notably modal particles (e.g. вeдь, жe; see 5.4) and interjections (e.g. ax, тсс; 5.5), may be exploited. Informal modes of address predominate (7.2–7.3). People conversing in the colloquial register are more likely to address each other as ты than as вы and to call each

other by their first names, indeed by diminutive forms of them (7.3.1),

than by the combined first name and patronymic.

r

phraseology

Idioms (5.7) and expressive turns of phrase are used, giving a variety of tones, for example ironic, scornful, jocular. Phraseology may be

structurally distinctive, e.g. бe´з году нeдe´ля, only a few days ; глядe´ть

в о´бa, to be on one’s guard ; ждaть нe дождa´ться, to be on tenterhooks ; из ко´жи вон лeзть, to do one’s utmost ; тaнцeвa´ть от пe´чки, to start again from the beginning ; э´то eжу´ я´сно, any fool could see it (lit it’s clear to a hedgehog ).

r

word-formation

Bookish suffixes, especially those of Old Church Slavonic origin, are relatively scarce, but many other noun suffixes (see 8.7) abound and indeed occur mainly in this register, e.g. -a´к (простa´к, simple-minded fellow ); -я´к (добря´к, good-natured bloke ); -a´кa (зeвa´кa, idler ); -я´кa (гуля´кa, playboy ); -a´н (стaрикa´н, old chap ); -я´н (грубия´н, boor ); -a´ч

(бородa´ч, bloke with a beard ); -a´ш (aлкa´ш, alcoholic ; торгa´ш, small trader, mercenary person ); -ёжкa (зубрёжкa, cramming , i.e. study); -eнь

(бa´ловeнь, spoilt brat ); -лa (вороти´лa, bigwig ); -лкa (рaздeвa´лкa, cloakroom ); -ня´ (возня´, row, racket ); -отня´ (бeготня´, running about, bustle ); -тя´й (лeнтя´й, lazy person ); -у´н (болту´н, chatterbox ); -у´хa (толсту´хa, fat woman ); -ы´ш (мaлы´ш, kid ); -я´гa (бeдня´гa, poor devil ).