Thread: Russian words that everybody knows

What in your opinion are the most recognazable Russian words for Northen Americans? Like "russki", "da", "perestroika" - I don't know "Spasiba"? Are any Russian words used in common situations - like italian "capiche", for examp.

Originally Posted by Gerty

What in your opinion are the most recognazable Russian words for Northen Americans? Like "russki", "da", "perestroika" - I don't know "Spasiba"? Are any Russian words used in common situations - like italian "capiche", for examp.

Водка, да, нет, перестройка, гласность, спутник (but only in the sense of it being a proper noun -- THE sputnik that is), СССР (even though it's not actually a single word and most don't know what it actually stands for) and comrade, even though it's not Russian or used in Russian. Really, I don't think there's much in the way of "loan-words" -- we have a ton from the romance and germanic languages, but not so much from the Russian side of things. Basically in amounts to using something from a scene in a Cold War movie. Sean Connery telling us Да when asked if he just stole a submarine or Boris Badenov calling Natasha comrade.

Babushka?
Btw why it's always said with the wrong stress? It drives me crasy!

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Babushka?
Btw why it's always said with the wrong stress? It drives me crasy!

You mean, baboooooshka, baboooooshka, baboooooshka? I'm sure there's some sort of Russian joke that blames Polyaks or Chukchi for that some where...

davai, davai...

na zdorovie! :P

I think до свидания is the only word an american would recognize and not very many at that. I did see it used on futurama (tv show) so at least that many people have heard it.
Speaking of babushkas, I was looking through the sale pile at a bookstore last night and found a book called 'The Russian Word for Snow'. I immediatly lost interest upon reading inside the jacket that it is a novel about some children adopted from russia. But it mentioned a woman in a babuska, as if it were some article of clothing. Is there such a thing or did the writer just neglect to look up what a babuska actually is?

Mamushka

Originally Posted by Layne

I think до свидания is the only word an american would recognize and not very many at that. I did see it used on futurama (tv show) so at least that many people have heard it.
Speaking of babushkas, I was looking through the sale pile at a bookstore last night and found a book called 'The Russian Word for Snow'. I immediatly lost interest upon reading inside the jacket that it is a novel about some children adopted from russia. But it mentioned a woman in a babuska, as if it were some article of clothing. Is there such a thing or did the writer just neglect to look up what a babuska actually is?

I know in English they they call the shawl like that (at least my dictionary says so). In Russian (as you probably know) it has nothing to do with shawls or other garments and has the only meaning "grandmother/old woman".

Americans think that Babushkas are the things that wear you wear on your head. AKA a scarf. I remember one time my grandma was like, yea we saw some russians at the river, and they were wearing babushkas. I was like really, must have been uncomfortable for those poor grannies.

Originally Posted by Gerty

Are any Russian words used in common situations - like italian "capiche", for examp.

no. The number of russian immigrants wasn't so great like italians.
Also, russian wasn't a historical part of english like french is, so there are many french words in common usage in english.

btw, i think nyet is the best known word.

intelligentsia, pogrom.

propaganda

Kalashnikov

Originally Posted by Guin

propaganda

It's not russian. probably you meant "agitprop".

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Originally Posted by Guin

propaganda

It's not russian. probably you meant "agitprop".

Sorry, I was always thinking that "propaganda" has russian origination. But now I looked at Vasner's dictionary and found the following:

пропаганда пропага́нда отсюда пропаганди́ровать. Через нем. Рrораgаndа или франц. рrораgаndе из нов.-лат. congregātiō dе рrораgаndā fidē – название основанной папой Урбаном VII в 1623 г. организации для распространения католической веры (Хайзе)

Век живи - век учись

Originally Posted by Guin

Sorry, I was always thinking that "propaganda" has russian origination. But now I looked at Vasner's dictionary and found the following:

пропаганда пропага́нда отсюда пропаганди́ровать. Через нем. Рrораgаndа или франц. рrораgаndе из нов.-лат. congregātiō dе рrораgаndā fidē – название основанной папой Урбаном VII в 1623 г. организации для распространения католической веры (Хайзе)

Век живи - век учись

There are many words in russian comes from foreign languages. Especially in technical sciences and medcine. For example: комьютер - computer, мобильный - mobile, телевизор - television set, монитор - monitor, машина - machine and many others. All foreign words implantat in russian language interpret as native. But if talking about prevalent ONLY russian words i can suggest здравствуй, русский мат, иди, рубль, деньги, отец, мать, я, ты ....

Originally Posted by rin81

There are many words in russian comes from foreign languages.

Thank you for information, but I've never had any doubts about it. The only problem I had was with the word "propaganda".

Originally Posted by rin81

Especially in technical sciences and medcine. For example: комьютер - computer, мобильный - mobile, телевизор - television set, монитор - monitor, машина - machine and many others.

I would say more: such simple russian words as "стул", "ярмарка", "рюмка", "лобзик", "вафля" etc. have not russian origination as well.

Originally Posted by rin81

But if talking about prevalent ONLY russian words i can suggest здравствуй, русский мат, иди, рубль, деньги, отец, мать, я, ты ....

I'm not sure, if "русский мат" has russian origination. Some of the words in it are evidently Turkic. The word "деньги" e.g. comes from Persian "dāng".

Самое известное иностранцам слово в русском языке - это ВОДКА!

Yes, рубль is one every one knows I forgot that. Again, mostly because the movies always showed Comrade Da asking Comrade Nyet to grease his palm, but nonetheless everybody knows what a ruble is. Although, really, that may not last much longer. I'd be interested to see if these post-Cold War generations will know that -- my bet is they'll (generally of course) know the dollar, the pound, the peso, and the euro -- maybe the yen?

Originally Posted by Gerty

What in your opinion are the most recognazable Russian words for Northen Americans? Like "russki", "da", "perestroika" - I don't know "Spasiba"? Are any Russian words used in common situations - like italian "capiche", for examp.

That was a good try to spell that Italian word. but it capisci
the word comes from the infinitive 'capire' - to understand.. so it would be io capisco (i understand -- io is pronouce 'yo'), ti capisci (you understand) lei/lui capisce (she/he understands -- lei pronounced like 'lay' & lui pronounced like 'Louie'), noi capiamo, voi capite, e loro capiscono.

a 'c' followed by 'i' or 'e' makes a "sh" sound. The same can be applied with 'g'. If a 'g' is followed by "e" or "i", this softens it to a "j" sounds - as in Giovanni. Without one of those letters following it, the 'g' is pronounced as 'г' like in Russian.. the 'c' without "i" or "e" makes a "k" sound.

Just a little italian lesson for everyone.. lol