?????µ-, -?????±??????, -?»???±??, -?‚??: Prefix and suffixes added to adverbs and pronouns to convey levels of indefiniteness in ways that are universal but highly idiosyncratic, making it almost impossible to categorize them in a meaningful way.
The mind is a wonderful thing. Once you start to master a particular usage in a foreign language, you can’t remember why you had trouble in the first place. It just “sounds right.” But you also can’t remember the rule behind the usage, and you discover that what sounds right to one Russian speaker doesn’t always sound right to the person next to him.
The suffixes -?????±??????, -?»???±?? and -?‚?? are cases in point. The usage rules in grammar books are clear, but hard to apply at first. You add -?‚?? to adverbs like ???°?? (how), ???????° (where), ?????‡?µ???? (why) and pronouns like ???°?????? (which) when you are referring to something you don’t know but that is objectively definite or known by someone. Classic examples are statements like: ?????????° ?»?µ?¶???‚ ?????µ-?‚?? ?? ?????°?„?? (The book is somewhere in the bookcase). That is, I don’t know exactly where it is, but it’s definitely there. Or: ???? ?????‡?µ????-?‚?? ?????°?·???‹???°?µ?‚ (For some reason, he’s late). That is, I may not know why he’s late, but he does.
You add -?????±?????? and -?»???±?? when you are speaking of something indefinite and unknown to everyone, or when what’s unknown is of no particular interest to you. ?????»???¶?? ?????????? ???????°-?????±?????? (Put the book anywhere). That is, I don’t give a hoot where you put the darned thing. ?? ???°??-?????±?????? ?????€?°???»?????? (Somehow I’ll manage). That is, no one knows how I’ll get through this, but somehow I will.
At first, I’d have to grimace in concentration to figure out which variety of indefiniteness I wanted to express. Then it got easy. But now I’ve begun to notice that everyday usage is more varied and idiosyncratic than the grammar books would have it. For example, it’s proper to say: ?•???»?? ???? ?????‡?µ????-?????±?????? ?????°?·???‹???°?µ?‚, ?‚?? ???‹ ???µ ?±?????µ?? ?¶???°?‚?? (If for any reason he’s late, we won’t wait). But in my set, no one says that: they’d use ?????‡?µ????-?‚??. Or take this: ?? ?‡?‚??-?????±?????? ???€?????µ???? (I’ll think of something to bring, but right now I don’t know what). How does that differ from ?? ?‡?‚??-?‚?? ???€?????µ????? Russians disagree on the meaning of this phrase. Some say it means, “I know what I’ll bring, but I’m not saying.” Others say that here ?‡?‚??-?‚?? is a colloquialism. A third group thinks, “It just doesn’t sound right.” And a fourth maintains the opposite: “It just sounds right.”
I’ve come to the conclusion that -?‚?? is the default indefinite suffix. Like the little black dress, it might not be perfect, but it’s nearly always serviceable.
?????µ-???°?? can mean “somehow or other, any old way” and ?????µ-?????µ can mean “here and there, in various places.” But the prefix ?????µ- can also have the neat connotation of “I know, but I’m not telling.” For example: ?? ?????µ-?‡?‚?? ???€?????µ???? (I’ll bring something, but I’m not saying what). It can indicate the importance of something: ?? ?…???‡?? ?????µ-?‡?‚?? ?‚?µ?±?µ ?????°?·?°?‚?? (I have something interesting to tell you). Or it can add a bit of intrigue or a frisson of suspense: ?????µ-???‚?? ?????€???????» ?? ?‚?µ?±?µ (A certain someone asked about you — wink, wink).
The only thing that is definitely clear is that expressing indefiniteness in Russian is definitely an art.
Michele A. Berdy is a Moscow-based translator and interpreter.
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