?’?????µ?‚??: to be suspended, to hang
It's been a while since I've indulged in my obsession with stance verbs — verbs like ???‚?????‚?? (to stand), ?»?µ?¶?°?‚?? (to lie) and ???????µ?‚?? (to sit) that are used in what seem like whimsical ways to describe an immobile something or someone. There's yet another way to be immobile in Russian: ???????µ?‚?? (to hang).
Unlike in English, lots of things hang or hang around in Russian. Anything suspended in the air is said to hang, especially things that provide light: ?›?°?????° ?????????‚ ???°?? ???‚???»???? (A lamp hangs over the table). ?›?????° ???????µ?»?° ???°?? ?????±???€???? (The moon hung above the cathedral).
Things attached to walls also hang: ?•?‰?‘ ?§?µ?…???? ???????°?», ?‡?‚?? ?µ???»?? ???? ???€?µ???? ?????µ???‚?°???»?? ???° ???‚?µ???µ ?????????‚ ?€???¶???‘, ?????? ???±???·?°?‚?µ?»?????? ?????»?¶???? ???‹???‚?€?µ?»???‚?? (It was Chekhov who wrote that if a gun hangs on a wall during a play, then it absolutely must be fired). ???°?? ???€?????°?‚???? ???????µ?» ?‚???¶?‘?»?‹?? ???????‘?€ (A heavy rug was hanging on the wall above the bed).
Sometimes the hanging things stick out or hang over: ???° ???‚?µ???µ ???°?? ???µ?? ???????µ?» ???µ?‚?°?»?»???‡?µ???????? ?????°?„?‡???? (On the wall a metal cupboard loomed over her). Locks hang, too. ???° ?????µ?… ?????µ?€???… ?????????‚ ?·?°?????? (All the doors are padlocked).You also use ???????µ?‚?? for things that hover in the air: ?’?µ?€?‚???»?‘?‚ ???????µ?» ???°?? ???????°?????‡?????? ???»???‰?°???????? (The helicopter hovered over the landing pad).
Things hover figuratively, too, but for some reason, mostly bad things hang over people or in the air between them: ?’ ?????·?????…?µ ???????µ?»?? ???»??????, ?????‚???€???µ ?????µ ?‚?°?? ?±?????»?????? ???€?????·???µ???‚?? (The word that everyone was so afraid to say out loud hung in the air). ???°???€???¶?µ?????µ ???????µ?»?? ???µ?¶???? ???????? (There was tension between them). ???°?? ???°???? ?µ???? ?€?µ???µ?????µ ???????µ?»?? ???°?? ???°???????»???? ???µ?‡ (His decision hung over us like the sword of Damocles). ???° ?????µ ?µ?‰?‘ ?????»?? ?????????‚ (I've still got a debt hanging over me).
Threats hang: ?????€???·?° ?‚?µ?€?€???€???·???° ?????????‚ ???°?? ?????µ?? ?€?µ???????????? (The threat of terrorism hangs over the entire region). And sounds, too: ?’?????µ?»?? ???°?? ???»???†?µ?? ???€?????????µ ???€?????? (Loud screams could be heard over the street).
Clothes can hang in three different ways. They can hang on a hook or hanger: ???»?°?‚???µ ?????????‚ ?? ???°?€???µ?€???±?µ (My dress is hanging in the closet). Part of them can hang down: ???»?°?‚???µ ???‚?€?°?????? ?????????‚ ???·?°???? (The dress sags strangely in back). And they can hang on a person, either because they are too big or simply unflattering: ?????° ?‚?°?? ?€?µ?·???? ?????…?????µ?»?°, ?‡?‚?? ???»?°?‚???µ ???€?????‚?? ?????????‚ ???° ???µ?? (She lost so much weight that the dress just hangs on her). ???»?°?‚???µ ?????????‚ ???° ?‚?µ?±?µ ???°?? ???µ?????? — ???µ ?????‘?‚. (The dress just hangs on you like a sack — it doesn't suit you at all).
And things can hang in two ways around your neck. One is nice: ???° ???µ?µ ?? ???µ?‘ ???????µ?» ?°?????»?µ?‚ ???· ?±?€???»?»???°???‚???? ?? ???°???„???€???? (Around her neck she wore an amulet of diamonds and sapphires). The other is a burden: ???° ???µ?µ ?? ???µ???? ?????????‚ ???‚?????µ???‡?µ???????µ ?????»???? (He's got student loans weighing him down).
In English, burdens are often on another part of the body: ???????° ?????? ?€???????‚???µ?????????? ???????????‚! ???????????????‚ ?? ???µ???? ???° ???µ?µ! (Where are my relatives going to go? I'll never get them off my back).
When you have burdens like this, you need to vent to a friend. That involves some hanging, too: ???‹ ???µ???? ???µ?‡?µ?€ ???????µ?»?? ???° ?‚?µ?»?µ?„?????µ (We talked on the phone — literally "hung from the phone" — all evening).
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.