???????·??: connections
Back in the old days of Soviet rule, everyone needed one thing to survive: ?±?»?°?‚. This word, so satisfying to say — try it! — meant pull, an "in," connections. ?‘?»?°?‚ got you tickets to a closed screening of a Hollywood film. ?‘?»?°?‚ got you a tin of powdery but potent instant coffee from India. ?‘?»?°?‚ got your kid a place in a preschool. But when the planned economy fell, it took ?±?»?°?‚ with it. Now if you want something, you go buy it. You don't need ?±?»?°?‚ with the sales clerk.
But if ?±?»?°?‚ disappeared, ???????·?? (connections) are eternal. And luckily for all of us language-hoppers, they are pretty universal, too.
???????·?? — note the plural — are connections, contacts, people you know, relationships. ?? ?…???‡?? ?????‚?€?????‚?????? ???° ?€?°?±???‚?? ?? ???‚???? ?„???€???µ. ???µ?‚ ?? ?‚?µ?±?? ?‚?°?? ???????·?µ??? (I'd like to get a job in that company. Do you have any contacts there?)
Sometimes the relationship connoted by ???????·?? is one of patronage. As usual, context is everything: ???? ?????????µ?€?¶?????°?µ?‚ ???‡?µ???? ?…???€???????µ ???????·?? ?? ???µ???‚?????? ?°?????????????‚?€?°?†???µ?? (He's been cultivating an inside track in the local administration).
???????·?? (singular) is some kind of connection. It might be invisible: ???° ???†?µ???µ ?????° ?????µ?»?° ???€?°?·?? ?????‚?°?????????‚?? ???????·?? ?? ?°???????‚???€???µ?? (On stage she could immediately establish a bond with the audience). It might be a bond of friendship or professional interests between individuals, institutions or countries: ?????»???‡?µ???‚???? ???????‚?€?µ???????… ?? ?????µ???????… — ???µ?¶?€?µ?????????°?»?????‹?… ?? ???µ?¶???????°?€???????‹?… — ???????·?µ?? ???°???µ?? ?????????°?????? ???????‚?????????? ?????·?€?°???‚?°?µ?‚ (The number of our firm's domestic and foreign — inter-regional and international — relationships is constantly growing).
Or it might be something more intimate. ???????·??, sometimes modified with the word ?»???±???????°?? (amorous), is any kind of extramarital relationship. ?•?‘ ?????¶, ???µ ?·???°?? ?? ???€?µ?¶???µ?? ???°???µ?? ???????·??, ???‚?°?€?°?µ?‚???? ?????·???°?????????‚?? ???°?? (Her husband, who doesn't know that we had an affair, is trying to introduce us to each other). When ???????·?? is modified by the adjective ?????»?????°?? (sexual), we are talking about a physical relationship without much emotional attachment. And ???»???‡?°?????°?? ???????·?? (literally an incidental contact) is what English speakers call a one-night stand.
This should not be confused with ???±?€?°?‚???°?? ???????·?? (literally a reverse connection), which is feedback. ???±?€?°?‚???°?? ???????·?? ?? ???»???µ???‚?°???? ?¶???·???µ?????? ???°?¶???° ???»?? ?????…?€?°???µ?????? ???????????€?µ???‚???‹?… ???€?µ???????‰?µ???‚?? ???°???µ?? ?„???€???‹ (Client feedback is essential if you want to keep your company's competitive edge).
In the category of invisible connections, ???????·?? can also refer to the internal logic of speech or writing. ?•???? ?????????????????°?????? ???€?? ?????????? ???€???????????»?????? ???€???? ?·?° ???€???????? ?±?µ?· ???????·?? (His unconnected reminiscences about the war came tumbling out one after another). Sometimes this is expressed with an adverb: ???? ?±?‹?» ?? ???????‚?????????? ???°????????-?‚?? ???°?€?????‚???‡?µ?????????? ???????????µ?????? ?? ???????µ?€???µ?????? ???µ???????·???? ?‡?‚??-?‚?? ?????????€???» (He was under the influence of some kind of drug and spoke incoherently).
???????·?? can also refer to forms and institutions of communications, like the railway, the post office or an Internet hook-up. Sometimes you need to clarify: ???° ???°?‡?µ ???????·?? ?µ???‚??? (Do you have communications at the dacha?) could refer to roads, telephone lines or cell coverage, cable internet or even commuter trains. ?”?°, ?±?µ?????€???????????°?? ???????·?? ?µ???‚??, ???? ???»?°?±?‹?? ?????????°?» (Yes, there's wireless internet, but the signal is weak).
Russians enjoy the joke-producing ambiguity of ???????·??, especially when combined with another polysemous word like ?±?€?°?? (marriage or defect). What's ???????·?? ?±?µ?· ?±?€?°???°? At the water cooler in a telecoms company, it's quality communications. In the locker room, it's an adulterous affair.
As usual, context is everything.
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.