Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

конвeрти´руeмaя вaлю´тa

convertible currency

мa´лый би´знeс

small business

многопaрти´йнaя систe´мa

multi-party system

нaло´г нa добa´влeнную

Value Added Tax ( VAT )

сто´имость(HдC)

нeтрудовыé дохо´ды

illegal earnings

нeфтeдо´ллaры

petro-dollars , i.e. foreign currency

earned by export of Russian oil

о´боротни в пого´нaх

lit werewolves with epaulettes (i.e.

police who are themselves engaged

in criminal activity)

о´бщeство с огрaни´чeнной

limited liability company

отвe´тствeнностью

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5

Vocabulary and idiom

однознa´чный/однознa´чно

lit simple, monosemantic ; used to

describe (over-)simplified or

black-and-white approach to

complex issues

озву´чивaть/озву´чить

to publicise, give voice to

ору´жиe мa´ссового

weapons of mass destruction

уничтожe´ния

отмывa´ниe дe´нeг

money-laundering

охо´тa зa вe´дьмaми

witch hunt

порну´хa

porn

постсовe´тскоe прострa´нство

post-Soviet space

рaскa´чивaниe ло´дки

rocking the boat

рeжи´м

in the sense of mode , e.g. в

обы´чном рeжи´мe, in normal mode

рокиро´вкa кa´дров

reshuffle (lit castling [chess term] of

personnel )

ры´ночнaя эконо´микa

market economy

сидe´ть нa иглe´

to be addicted (lit to sit on the needle )

сидe´ть нa нeфтяно´й иглe´

to be dependent on oil (said of the

contemporary Russian economy)

силови´к

member of security forces, which

are known collectively as силовa´я

структу´рa

тea´тр одногоáктёрa

one-man band (lit one-actor theatre )

тeнeвa´я эконо´микa

shadow economy

тeнeви´к

person operating in the shadow

economy

тру´бкa

mobile ( telephone )

у´зник со´вeсти

prisoner of conscience

утe´чкa мозго´в

brain drain

чeлно´к

originally shuttle ; now also sb who

goes abroad to buy goods cheaply

and resells them in Russia for profit

чeловe´чeский фa´ктор

the human factor

чeрну´хa

the negative side of life or its

depiction

чeтвёртaя влaсть

the fourth estate , i.e. the media

It has also been pointed out, for example by Ryazanova-Clarke and

Wade (see Sources), that with the re-emergence of the Church as an

officially acceptable institution in Russia in the post-Soviet era new life has been given to words and expressions with a religious colouring,

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5.1

Neologisms

including some Slavonicisms embedded in biblical expressions, e.g.

всуé, in vain ; глaс вопию´щeго в пусты´нe, a voice in the wilderness ; зeмля´

обeтовa´ннaя, the promised land ; зeни´цa о´кa, the apple of one’s eye ; злaто´й

тeлe´ц, the golden calf ; и и´жe с ни´ми, and others of that ilk ; ищи´тe и

обря´щeтe, seek and ye shall find ; о´ко зa о´ко, зуб зa зуб, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth ; при´тчa во язы´цeх, the talk of the town . These expressions may have a range of functions. They might for example be used for rhetorical purposes (especially in the language of nationalistic politicians and commentators), or as a means available to people of

more Westernist outlook of disparaging nationalistic forces, or simply as a jocular device in everyday speech. They may accordingly be

classified as nowadays belonging either to R3 or R1 depending on

their context.

5.1.4

Slang

Slang is a stratum of lexis that defies the standard and is unorthodox and more or less subversive. It is associated particularly with youth and marginal groups. The words which abound in youth slang

( молодёжный слeнг) relate especially to parents, sex, drink, drugs, fighting and the police, for instance: (to denote parents) ро´дичи(lit relatives in R1), шнурки´(lit shoe-laces ); and (in the meaning to have sex ) попa´риться, попи´литься, потeлeфо´нить, поудa´читься(all pf ). Further varieties of slang are associated with business ( дeлово´й слeнг, о´фисный

жaрго´н), the criminal underworld ( воровскоé aрго´(indecl), блaтно´й

язы´к, or фe´ня) and the world of computer-users (see 5.1.5 below).

Some slang is derived from foreign words, e.g. гри´ны, ‘ greens ’ (i.e.

dollars ; gen гри´нов); дри´нкaть, to drink ; крeдитну´ться, to get a loan ; о´лды, oldies (i.e. parents ).

There follows a short list of examples of slang of one sort or another that have been in vogue at some time over the past ten years or so.

However, foreign learners should use such words with caution, both

because slang is by definition non-standard and because it tends to

become dated more quickly than other areas of lexis (indeed some of

the expressions listed here that are now modish may well seem stale by the time this book is published).

бa´бки(pl; gen бa´бок)

money

брaт

member of criminal fraternity

брaтвa´

criminal fraternity

глюк

hallucination ; У нeго´ глю´ки, He’s

hallucinating/seeing things.

дeдовщи´нa

bullying of new recruits by older

soldiers (дeды´, i.e. grand-dads )

дe´мбeль(m)

demobilisation