While reading Doctor Zhivago in Russian, there's this word шпентель. It looks like an "antiquated" word of the Imperial Russian era. And it's not in my dictionary. But the "шп" consonant cluster makes me wonder that if this is a Germanic loanword.
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While reading Doctor Zhivago in Russian, there's this word шпентель. It looks like an "antiquated" word of the Imperial Russian era. And it's not in my dictionary. But the "шп" consonant cluster makes me wonder that if this is a Germanic loanword.
Probably it is an intentional misspelling of штемпель (a stamp) or шпиндель (a spindle).
RedFox wrote
It is a mispronunciation by an uneducated person.Quote:
шпиндель (a spindle)
Spindle (tool)Quote:
Тыщу раз ему сказывали, вперед подведи бабку, а тады завинчивай упор, а он знай свое, знай свое. Чуть мне шпентель не сломал, сукин сын.
— Я шпиндил не трогал, дяинька, ей-Богу, не трогал.
Б. Л. Пастернак
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Now you mentioned it, I got a clearer idea of what was going on in that passage. Thank you, Milanya.