?????°????́?±???‡????: thanky-wanky
Now that Victory Day hysteria has died down, I can get back to other obsessions, like the overuse of diminutives in Russian. Diminutives, you will recall, are words formed by the addition of various suffixes and infixes (syllables added within the word) to indicate affection, intimacy or the smallness and general adorableness of the object or action discussed.
Diminutives are fine when used purposefully. ?????‚ is a tomcat; ?????‚???? is a very sweet or very small tomcat, an affectionate name for a child or an endearment for a husband or dear friend who is being particularly sweet. When talking to small children, instead of offering them ???????° (water), you might say ?????????‡???° (stress on middle syllable), as if anything meant for a child was automatically imbued with affection and sweetness. When feeling warm-hearted around the table, you might pour your friend not ?????????° (vodka), but ?????????‡???° (stress on first syllable), as if your feelings of good will extend to everything, including the bottle of fire-water.
But lately every other word seems to end in -???° or -????, or have ????, ???‡, ???‡, or ?µ?» stuck in the middle of it. I'm not sure if this babyfication of Russian is a new trend, or if it's been around for a while and I just didn't notice it, or if it's not a thing at all but just an affectation of people I know. But it's driving me crazy.
In this language, people aren't ?»??????, they are ?‡?µ?»?????µ?‡???? (a plural made from the word ?‡?µ?»?????µ?? — person). ?§?µ?»?????µ?‡?µ?? is perfectly fine word to describe a sweet human being, sometimes young, usually physically small: ?????»???????????? ?±?‹?» ???°?»?µ??????????, ?‚?‰?µ?????????‹?? ?‡?µ?»?????µ?‡?????? ?? ???µ?‡?????‚?‹?? ?»???†????. (The colonel was a small, puny little man with a dirty face.) But it stinks of condescension when used in reference to anyone else: ???‹ ?‚?°?????? ?…???€?????µ??????????, ?????±?€?µ?????????? ?‡?µ?»?????µ?‡?µ??! (You are such a nice and sweet little thing.)
In this version of Russian, food and drink are put through the baby-talk food mill. Dishes are not ?±?»?????°, but ?????????????????? (goodies, the word most often used to describe dog and cat treats) or ?????????? (tidbits). The meal is ???????????µ???????? (delish, from ????????????) or ??????-?????? (yummy). On the table is ?…?»?µ?±?????µ?? (bread, from ?…?»?µ?±) and ?????????? (meat, from ????????). They pour ???°???????????? (champagne, from ???°?????°?????????µ), ?????????? (beer, from ????????), and ???????‡???? (wine, from ????????). And they write about it on Twitter: ?????°?‡?? ?? ?????????? ????????! ?????°?????±?? ?·?° ???°????????????! ?’???‚ ???????€???????? — ?????????° ?? ???°?? ???° ???????????µ ??????????????????? (Best wishes for the new year. Thanks for the bubbly! And here's a Q for you — when are you coming over for something yummy-wummy?)
Desire is not ?¶?µ?»?°?????µ, but ?…???‚?µ?»???° (from the verb ?…???‚?µ?‚?? — to want). In the sanctity of a marriage — and of course only there — ?…???‚?µ?»???° is a specific form of desire: ?•???»?? ?????¶ ???µ???µ?‚ ?? ???????°???????€???????? ???° ?????»???????°, ?…???‚?µ?»???° ?????€?‘?‚. (If my hubby goes away on business for six months, I'll lose the urge.) In other contexts, ?…???‚?µ?»???? are things you have a hankering for, like expensive watches or jewelry. Or like a new life: ?’???‚ ?????? ?…???‚?µ?»????: ?…???‡?? ???????????µ?‚??, ?…???‡?? ?????…?????µ?‚?? … (Here's my wish-list: I wanna get smart, I wanna lose weight …)
If you get them, the precious way to express gratitude is: ?????°?????±???‡????, ?????°?????±????, ?????°?????±?????????? (a simpering "thanks"). And then you say good-bye: ???????µ???????°! (from ???????° — see you later).
To which I say: ???µ???? ?‚?????????‚! (I feel sick!)
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.
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