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1-Which syllable of "иначе" is stressed? Is the meaning exactly the same as that of "по-другому"?
2-"Так сложилось" vs. "Так случилось": which one means what?
3-Is the word "кайф" of Russian origin? There's a very similar word in Persian [pronounced "кэйф"] with identical meaning. I guess in both languages it is a loan-word of Caucasian origin, perhaps Armenian. Is there any link between "кайф" and "кефир"?

Just curious!

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Originally Posted by Misha Tal

1-Which syllable of "иначе" is stressed? Is the meaning exactly the same as that of "по-другому"?

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инАче. Obsolete stress Иначе. It's meaning is not exactly the same as of "по-другому". It also may mean "else", "otherwise"

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Originally Posted by Misha Tal

1-Which syllable of "иначе" is stressed? Is the meaning exactly the same as that of "по-другому"?

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А is stressed. But sometimes someone can stress И if he/she wants to sound pretentious.

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2-"Так сложилось" vs. "Так случилось": which one means what?

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Так сложилось: There were such circumstances.
Так случилось: It happened so.

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3-Is the word "кайф" of Russian origin?

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No, it is not.

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Is there any link between "кайф" and "кефир"?

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Yes, there is. At least an inscription on the back side of this pack says so:

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/6706/31202381547.jpg

Oops... Sorry, wrong picture. I mean this pack:

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/9...omik11midl.jpg

Inscription says:
КЕФИР (от арабского kief – кайф, наслаждение) – кисломолочный напиток, приготовленный из цельного или обезжиренного коровьего молока с добавлением кефирных грибков (молочнокислых бактерий и дрожжей), секрет которого был раскрыт благодаря целому стечению обстоятельств и приключений. В 1908 году Ирина САХАРОВА, технолог молочного производства отправилась на Северный Кавказ, чтобы раскрыть тайну производства этого целебного молочного напитка. В то время только горские народы умели его готовить, но хранили свой секрет. Местный князь Бек-Мирза БАЙЧАРОВ (тогдашний крупнейший поставщик кефира) выкрал И.Сахарову и решил на ней жениться, лишь вмешательство властей помогло девушке сохранить свободу. Но вместе со свободой девушка, а благодаря ей и вся Россия, узнала тайну кефира.

So "кайф" is of Arabic origin. For some reason that possibility didn't enter my mind at all.
Nice story about kefir! "There's always a woman!" :wink:

Initially, the Arabs, the word "kaif" meant "siesta with a cup of coffee." Then, simply "enjoy" and have no coffee.
"Кефир" - from the Ossetian words "kepy". So in the Caucasus called the "sour-milk drink