???°???µ?‚: package
One of the tricky places in Russian is the cognate zone: that place where English and Russian words that sound alike and have the same root hang out and dream up ways to confuse you. These so-called cognates are sometimes also false friends and fair-weather friends.
I've been thinking about this because of a ???°???µ?‚ (package) that has been in the news every day for several weeks in Russia. This is ???°???µ?‚ ???€???????? (Yarovaya's package): ???°???µ?‚ ?°???‚???‚?µ?€?€???€?????‚???‡?µ???????… ?·?°?????????? (a package of anti-terrorist laws).
In English we can say that — a package of laws ?€” although English speakers are more likely to talk about aid packages, packages of anti-terrorist measures, or package deals and package tours. In this context ???°???µ?‚-package are fair-weather friends: sometimes they match up and sometimes they don't.
Russians don't talk about package tours ?€” those are ?????‚?‘?????? ?€” but they can gather lots of things into their ???°???µ?‚?‹, like documents: ?? ?·?°???????µ ???€???»?°???°?»???? ???µ???±?…?????????‹?? ???°???µ?‚ ???????????µ???‚???? (The required package of documents was submitted with the application.) Or votes: ?’ ???°?€?»?°???µ???‚?µ ?? ???°?€?‚???? ?±?‹?» ?±?»???????€?????‰???? ???°???µ?‚ ?????»???????? (The party had enough votes to block legislation.) Or guarantees: ?????? ?????·???°?»?? ???µ???‚?€?°?·?????‹?? ???°???µ?‚ ???°?€?°???‚???? ???»?? ?????????‚?€?°?????‹?… ???????µ???‚???€???? (They came up with an irresistible package of guarantees for foreign investors.) Or perks: ???€?µ???????‚?°???»?µ?????µ ???? ?????»?? ?????±???‚???µ?????????‚?? ???°?? ?‡?°???‚?? ???°???µ?‚?° ?????????µ?????°?†???? ???µ?€?µ?????? ?????»???µ?‚???? ???????‚?°?‚???‡?????? "???€?????°????????" (Giving them an equity share as part of their compensation packages is often enough of an inducement.) And, of course, stocks: ?’ ???‚?????µ ???? ?? ???????? ???µ?‚ ???????‚?€???»?????????? ???°???µ?‚?° ?°???†???? (In the end, no one has the controlling block of shares.)
???°???µ?‚-package are false friends in the grocery store. ???°???µ?‚?‹ are what you take your groceries home in ?€” bags or sacks. They can be the ecologically sound ?±?????°?¶???‹?µ ???°???µ?‚?‹ (paper bags) or the environmentally damaging ?????»?????‚???»?µ???????‹?? ???°???µ?‚, a phrase Russians use all the time. English speakers are not likely to say "polyethylene bag." In fact, you'd be lucky to find an English speaker who knows what a polyethylene bag is. It's just a plain old plastic bag.
And finally the Russian ???°???µ?‚ can be ???°???µ?‚ ?????»?????° (a container of milk), ???°???µ?‚ ?? ???±?»?????°???? (a sack of apples) or even something very nasty, like ???°???µ?‚ ?? ???µ?€?????????? (a bag of heroin).
There is one other tricky packaging issue for non-native speakers of Russian: when to use ???°???µ?‚ (package, bag) and when to use ???°?‡???° (pack). I'm struggling to determine the rule. ???°???µ?‚ is a sack you fill or a container that is not a bottle but holds liquids: ???°???µ?‚ ?????»?????°, ?????€???°, ???????° (container of milk, fruit drink, juice).
???°?‡???° is smaller and usually contains one kind of thing, like ???°?‡???° ???????°?€?µ?‚ (a pack of cigarettes). Or it describes a bunch of something held together: ?’ ???‰?????µ ???‹ ???°???»?? ???°?‡???? ???‚?°?€?‹?… ???????µ?? (In a drawer we found a bundle of old letters). Or: ???? ?…???°?‚?°?µ?‚ ?‚???»???‚?µ???????? ???°?‡???? ?€???±?»?µ?? (He grabs a thick wad of bills.)
But in the grocery store, ???°?‡???? aren't small at all. They never hold liquids like ???°???µ?‚?‹. They are used with almost any pre-package food, from ???°?‡???° ?€?????° (bag of rice) to ???°?‡???° ?‡?????????? (bag of chips).
And then there's one more ???°???µ?‚, so tiny that it's the diminutive ???°???µ?‚????. It's what you use to make a refreshing drink: ???°???µ?‚???? ?‡?°?? (teabag).
Definitely time for a cuppa.
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.