Questions tagged [история-языка]

Questions on the history of the Russian language, its origin and changes it underwent through the centuries.

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When (and, if applicable, where) did ся cease to be a free clitic?

Russian and other East Slavic languages are peculiar, by Slavic standards, in having a fixed post-verbal reflexive particle rather than a free one (or rather, one that tends to follow Wackernagel's ...
Nikolay Ershov's user avatar
8 votes
6 answers
873 views

The exact origin of шёл

I'm aware of шёл's derivation from Proto-Slavic *xьdlъ, related to ходить, but that form still seems irregular — given that вёл, which has the exact same relation to водить, had e rather than ь in the ...
Nikolay Ershov's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
522 views

What is "Э оборотное"?

Today I heard from my friend "Э оборотное". I still do not understand why he called it "оборотное". Is there a secret letter "э", which only Russian native speakers know about, which is turned the ...
L_Pav's user avatar
  • 1,049
6 votes
3 answers
283 views

Раз, два и обчёлся

I was just wondering what would be the origin of the verb обчёлся? Does it have something to do with закончил считать? I don't think we use other forms of this verb, but in this idiom. How old is this ...
UVV's user avatar
  • 398
4 votes
1 answer
342 views

Why Lomonosov calls Russian language "российский"?

Lomonosov consistently calls Russian language "российский" in his works: "Российская грамматика" "Письмо о правилах российского стихотворства" "Предисловие о пользе книг церковных в российском языке"....
Sergey Kalinichenko's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
374 views

What are the advanced Russian words якобы and дабы?

Very recently in a russian newspaper I came across the words якобы and дабы. I surfed the internet for these words and found out that generally якобы is alike псевдо or как будто бы, and дабы is так ...
L_Pav's user avatar
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18 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why are United Nations and United Arab Emirates translated as "Объединённые", but United States as "Соединённые"?

Are there two different ways to be "United", or is one simply the more modern usage while the other was used historically in previous centuries?
ghostarbeiter's user avatar
17 votes
3 answers
909 views

Why do verbs in past tense—and not other parts of speech—have gender?

In Russian, verbs in the past have gender information attached to them, so that “я спросил” implies that the asker was male, whereas “я спросила” comes from a female. Why no other tenses have this ...
Khrusch's user avatar
  • 173
7 votes
5 answers
2k views

"Красная" Площадь

It seems to be relatively common knowledge that the name "Красная Площадь," while translated in English as "Red Square," does not actually mean "Red Square" in Russian, but rather "Beautiful Square." ...
SAH's user avatar
  • 384
7 votes
2 answers
540 views

Orthodox priests' facility with the Church Slavonic language

What I got from reading this is that the Russian recension of Church Slavonic (церковнославянский язык) is probably not terribly difficult to understand, at least generally, for an educated Russian. ...
Kачкодзьоб's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Russianization of Ancient Greek personal names

Can anyone shed some light onto the process by which (masculine) personal names of the Ancient Greek world were Russianized? With some notable exceptions (Homer, Aristotle, Hadrian, et al.), English ...
Kачкодзьоб's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
515 views

Может ли известное ругательство с упоминанием матери быть сохранившимся аористом 1 л. ед. ч.?

У глаголов с основой на согласный формы аориста 1 л. ед. ч. (несъ, везъ и т.п.) совпадают с их прошедшим временем ед. ч. м. р. в современном русском. (Которое, разумеется, возникло гораздо позже с ...
Nikolay Ershov's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
332 views

Recent Russian language changes

What are the most significant changes in Russian language in 20th-21st centuries other than orthography rules and lexicon?
grep's user avatar
  • 121
-2 votes
1 answer
150 views

Использование слова "один" до 1910-ых годов

Как можно видеть из графика в Google Ngram Viewer, все числительные использовались с примерно постоянной частотой с 1800 года. Но слово один до 1910 года практически не встречается в литературе. В то ...
grabantot's user avatar
  • 101
1 vote
4 answers
408 views

Russian words with negative connotation substituted by english ones [closed]

I'm looking for russian words that throughout the course of history acquired a negative connotation, because they were linked, for exemple,to the politics of Soviet Unione, and during the last years ...
Marica Di Rosa's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
151 views

[о]>[у] в "господарь">"государь" — единичный случай?

Известны ли, помимо господарь>государь, еще случаи (до распространения аканья, разумеется), когда [о] сужалось в [у]? Может быть, также связанные с выпадением согласного?
Nikolay Ershov's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
588 views

Н > И change in Cyrillic, when and why?

The modern Cyrillic letter had the shape of H a thousand years ago, it descends from the Greek H η 'Ήτα, Ēta'. What is interesting is when and why this letter changed the angle of its bar from H to И.
Yellow Sky's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
959 views

Несовершенный вид в значении совершенного

Мы то и дело используем в прошедшем времени несовершенный вид там, где он по базовому смыслу вполне заменим на совершенный, однако контекст требует подчеркнуть, что было выполнено некое предписанное ...
Nikolay Ershov's user avatar
25 votes
4 answers
2k views

Как бы звучало по-русски название медведя *r̥ḱs-os/*r̥ḱt-os, доживи оно до наших дней?

Как известно, слово "медведь" это слово-заменитель табуированного "истинного" имени зверя. Похоже что такие замены происходили неоднократно - старое "истинное" имя забывалось и табу переходило на ...
Artemix's user avatar
  • 11.3k
8 votes
2 answers
363 views

Думпкар и самосвал

Чуковский в книге "Живой как жизнь" перечисляет заимствованные слова и возникшие русские эквиваленты, например "голкипер" и "вратарь". Впервые в этом списке встретил слово "думпкар" аналогом которого ...
Artemix's user avatar
  • 11.3k
10 votes
4 answers
638 views

Почему с конца 30-х перестали употреблять словосочетание "в Украине"?

В русском языке сочетание "в Украине" используется издавна. Господин гетман, <...> того ради вам надлежит итти по Киева, в Украйну свою и смотреть того, о чем уже вы известны. (К Мазепе) ...
user31264's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Был ли раньше «приятный аппетит»?

Есть пожелание «Приятного аппетита», но нет словосочетания «приятный аппетит». Почему так? Это устаревшее?
BrainsFeeder's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
327 views

Russian term for returning emigres?

What is the Russian term for the emigres who returned to Russia during the Stalin years--and at his invitation? This was during the 1930s, I think, and was a specific term. Thanks!
Josef's user avatar
  • 51
4 votes
1 answer
222 views

Was -ю ending in instrumental mandatory in Pushkin's times?

Was -ю ending in instrumental mandatory or overwhelming in Pushkin's times?
Anixx's user avatar
  • 14.4k
6 votes
3 answers
343 views

What are all the times where "е" changes to "ё"?

I don't know if this was asked before but I never saw it in search, so I'll just ask it. Can someone list all the situations where "е" would be changed to "ё" ? Like maybe after 2 vowels or if the ...
cdskl's user avatar
  • 61
12 votes
3 answers
635 views

What circumstances led to the dramatic change in the Russian language between the 17th and 18th centuries?

The language of the 19th century (even at its beginning), judging from the poetry and prose of Pushkin and Lermontov, was much the same language that we speak today. If somebody decided to compose ...
8 votes
2 answers
4k views

Значение слова кощун в средние века

Современные словари определяют слово кощун как "насмешник, богохульник". Однако в "Материалах для словаря древнерусского языка" Срезневского напротив слов кощуна, коштяна, коштюна написано "μύθος, ...
Artemix's user avatar
  • 11.3k
6 votes
1 answer
394 views

When "кде" became "где"?

When in history of Russian language "кде" became "где"?
Anixx's user avatar
  • 14.4k
10 votes
4 answers
457 views

Comprehensibility of "Sub-Standard" Speech?

I suspect that this question may be both too specific and too vague for this forum, but here goes... I recently tried to watch the film "Жила-была одна баба" (2011) -- I'm not sure I'd recommend it ...
3 votes
2 answers
214 views

Colloquial imperative with the particle -ка

This form seems to be very common in modern conversational Russian, e.g. Пойдём-ка, покурим-ка. Давайте-ка не будем пороть горячку. Подожди(те)-ка! This form also has its more colloquial (and ...
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
14 votes
5 answers
1k views

What does "кося" in phrase "накося выкуси" exactly mean

These days I'm reading a book "История моего современника" by V. G. Korolenko (don't feel guilty for reading it online, you are not breaching any copyright laws in this case, since the author is ...
shabunc's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
207 views

When and how has the word широковещательный obtained its negative connotations?

I've stumbled upon this word in Andrey Bely's (Bugaev's) Символизм как миропонимание (СПб 1994). Even in the early 20th century the word was used negatively referring to 'широковещательность ...
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
2 votes
2 answers
535 views

What is the origin of Russian suffix -шк-?

What is the origin of diminitive suffix -шк- for personal names (like Антошка, Машка, Мишка, Ивашка)?
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
2 votes
2 answers
474 views

Why рукопожатный?/ Почему говорится "рукопожатный"?

The word itself is like a standard p.pt., except that such words can be in Russian either т- or н-ending. How come that рукопожатен has both affixes? Само слово похоже на обычное причастие прошедшего ...
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
-1 votes
1 answer
1k views

к/ц becoming к/ч in Russian: chronology and reasons? Чередование к/ц и его переход в к/ч в русском: хронология и причины?

Читаем Иванова, "Историческая грамматика русского языка": "...в древнерусском языке противопоставление [ц'] и [ч'] на стыке корневой и флективной морфем могло иметь такой характер, что при помощи ...
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
1 vote
2 answers
272 views

When did the к/ч consonant alteration appear in Russian? Когда в русском языке впервые появилось чередование к/ч?

In words like век - вечный, урок - урочный, доска - досочка or миска - мисочка. Can this be a result of Uralic influence? В словах наподобие век - вечный, урок - урочный, доска - досочка или миска - ...
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
2 votes
1 answer
203 views

Are there any patterns for loanwords phonetics in Russian which are specific for a source language?

В (древне)русском языке есть (был) набор специфических фонем. В языках, из которых осуществлялись заимствования, тоже был набор специфических фонем. Вопрос: могли ли одни и те же звуки (древне)...
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
6 votes
1 answer
299 views

Kакова этимология слова "варяг"? What is the etymology of 'varyag'?

Имеется в виду буквальное значение слова. The word is meant in its literal sense.
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
7 votes
2 answers
422 views

"Качели" vs. "качель"

While reading Osip Mandelshtam, I came across the word качель in singular. Я качался в далеком саду На простой деревянной качели, И высокие темные ели Вспоминаю в туманном бреду. ...
petajamaja's user avatar
  • 2,071
3 votes
1 answer
805 views

What is the etymology of чашка? Какова этимология слова "чашка"?

Does it have anything in common with Sanskrit चषक (casaaka) = bowl, glass, cup, wine, liquour? Please avoid elliptic definitions like 'it is a diminutive from 'чаша'. Есть ли у слова что-либо общее с ...
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
7 votes
2 answers
398 views

When did (Old) Russian lose its Plusquamperfect?

Did it disappear in some transitional period or later, when Modern Russian already existed?
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
2 votes
3 answers
314 views

What is the origin and meanining of -ка in these words/Какова этимология и смысл -ка в этих словах?

Рассмотрим такие слова как ласка, тоска, доска, миска, полоска, колбаска, опаска, ряска. Морфемно-орфографический словарь выдает следующее разделение (в скобках - информация по Фасмеру): ласк.а (...
Manjusri's user avatar
  • 4,502
12 votes
6 answers
556 views

Talking of historical grade systems, how should I call "отличник"?

In pre-prevoluationary times in Russian gymnasiums there was a 12-level grade system. In Soviet Union, as well as in Russian Federation, schools stand with 5-level grade system, but there is an ...
shabunc's user avatar
  • 37.9k
9 votes
2 answers
10k views

"достичь" vs. "достигнуть"

Словарь указывает оба варианта как допустимые. Но хотя достичь и считается основным, в его спряжении все равно присутствуют формы с суффиксом -ну \ -н: достигну, достигнешь, и т.п. Как получилось, ...
Olga's user avatar
  • 6,558
10 votes
3 answers
636 views

Origin of the verb form "(я) ем"

Can please someone explain the origin of "-м" in "(я) ем". Why do other verbs have "-у (-ю)" ending in the 1st person singular of present ("я работаю, я учу"), but this verb has "-м"?
Olga's user avatar
  • 6,558
11 votes
2 answers
333 views

Why "обо всём" but "перед всем"?

Why is it обо мне обо всём but передо мной перед всем
Philip Seyfi's user avatar
  • 2,615
10 votes
7 answers
731 views

Was "сладкий" ever synonymous with "пресный" in Russian

Fresh (non-salt) water is also called sweet in English. Surprisingly, the word sweet is also used in some Slavic languages. To be precise: in Polish, woda słodka in Czech, sladká voda in Croatian (...
shabunc's user avatar
  • 37.9k
7 votes
2 answers
437 views

The origin of complex plural forms

What caused complex plural forms in Russian? Were they borrowed from another language, inherited from Old Russian, or is there another reason why they appeared? By "complex plural forms" I mean the ...
nanofarad's user avatar
  • 355
38 votes
8 answers
5k views

Why doesn't Russian have native words beginning with А?

I've heard that Russian has no native words beginning with the letter A. The claim is that the words appearing under A in dictionaries were all imported at some stage or another. Browsing through the ...
Vitaly Mijiritsky's user avatar

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