Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

concept that is unfamiliar to an English-speaker.

3.1

Homonyms

Homonyms arise in several ways. Firstly, as a result of phonological change a word may come to coincide in sound and form with another

word of different origin (as is the case with the pair лук). Secondly, identical forms may develop as a result of the processes of

word-formation, by the addition of distinct suffixes to a root

(e.g. удa´рник). Thirdly, it very often happens that an existing word takes on quite a new meaning (e.g. свeт).

We also include here a few words (e.g. ногa´) which strictly speaking are not homonyms but which have a range of meaning that is

unexpected to English-speakers.

Many of the examples given here are full homonyms (i.e. they have

identical pronunciation and paradigms, e.g. ключ in its different

meanings), while others are partial homonyms (i.e. they do not share all the forms which each word possesses, e.g. мир, which does not

have plural forms in its sense of peace ).

3.1.1

Examples of homonyms

блок

bloc (esp pol)

pulley

брaк

matrimony

defective goods, rejects

вид

air, appearance

shape, form, state

view (e.g. from room)

species

aspect (gram term)

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3

Problems of meaning: Russian words

врéмя

time

tense (gram term)

вязa´ть

to tie

to knit

глa´дить/поглa´дить

to stroke (e.g. animal)

to iron (clothes; pf also вы´глaдить)

гнaть

to chase, drive, pursue

to distil

го´лос

voice

vote

го´лубь(m)

pigeon

dove

го´рло

throat

neck of bottle (though as a rule the dimin form го´рлышко is used in this sense, except in the phrase пить из горлa´ (D), to drink straight from the bottle )

горн

furnace, forge

bugle

губa´

lip

bay, inlet (in northern Russia)

tree fungus

дeрe´вня

country (i.e. not town)

village

долг

duty

debt

жaть

(жму, жмёшь) to press, squeeze

(жну, жнёшь) to reap

жe´ртвa

victim

sacrifice

зeмля´

Earth

зeмля´

land, soil

икрa´

caviar

calf (part of leg)

исто´рия

history

story

affair

кa´ртa

map

playing card

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3.1

Homonyms

клуб

club (society)

puff, cloud (e.g. of dust)

ключ

key (to door); also fig, clue

spring, source (of water)

ко´жa

skin

leather

коло´дa

block (of wood)

pack of cards

косa´

plait

scythe

spit (of land)

кося´к

door-post

shoal (of fish)

herd (of mares with one stallion)

кулa´к

fist

strike force (mil)

wealthy peasant

курс

course (programme of study; path along which sth moves)

year (of course in educational institution)

rate of exchange (fin)

лa´скa

caress, kindness

weasel (gen pl лa´сок)

лёгкий

light

easy

лeсa´(pl; gen лeсо´в)

forests

scaffolding

лe´стницa

staircase

ladder

лопa´ткa

shovel

shoulder-blade

лук

onion

bow (for shooting arrows)

мaсси´ровaть

to mass (mil)

to massage

мaтe´рия

matter (as opposed to spirit; phil)

cloth

мaши´нa

machine

car

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3

Problems of meaning: Russian words

мир

peace

world

peasant commune (in pre-revolutionary Russia)

момe´нт

moment

factor

нaу´кa

science

learning

нaу´чный

scientific

academic

нaчa´ло

beginning

premiss (i.e. postulate )

нe´бо

sky

heaven

ногa´

leg

foot

носи´ть

to carry

to wear (clothes)

о´пыт

experience

experiment

пaр

steam

fallow

пe´тля

loop

stitch

buttonhole

noose

плитa´

slab (e.g. paving-stone)

stove (for cooking)

пол

floor

sex

по´лe

field

поля´(pl)

margin (of page)

brim (of hat)

поли´тикa

policy

politics

по´лкa

shelf

weeding

по´лькa

Polish woman

polka (dance)

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3.1

Homonyms

поро´ть

to thrash (pf вы´пороть)

to unstitch (pf рaспоро´ть)

прeдмe´т

subject (e.g. of study)

object (thing, topic)

прогрa´ммa

programme

channel (on TV)

schedule ; учe´бнaя прогрa´ммa, curriculum

ромa´н

novel

rоmanсe

рукa´

arm

hand

рысь(f )

trot

lynx

свeт

light

world

society (i.e. the fashionable world)

свe´тлый

bright, radiant

light (of colours)

ско´рость(f )

speed

gear (of engine)

сло´во