Discussions about Russian History > Imperial Russian History
Pre revolution spoken Russian
Nathalie:
I have heard, that the spoken Russian before the revolution was a little bit different, than the Russian which is used now - Well I don't mean the grammar (though Im not sure, maybe grammar too), but the accent...
I also read even here somewhere, that it was like "silver troika bells across fresh fallen snow".
Is it correct?
Can a language/accent change within such a -relatively- short time?
Forum Admin:
Yes, it is quite true that the Imperial Russian accent was very different from modern Russian, and some grammar usage as well. I was very lucky to have known a lady, my "tante" Lilly who was born a Princess into an aristocratic Moscow family before the Revolution, and I heard her Russian accent often. It was indeed beautiful, and different from the modern accent. It was I who found that analogy about the silver bells, and yes, it is true.
One other interesting difference, for example. At a Christmas (Orthodox) dinner one year, I toasted the table with "Nastrovya"...Tante Lilly on my right, touched my arm saying "no, no my Dear...not Nastrovya! Only the Polish say that, or Papa to his immediate family...When one has guests, you say "Vashestrova", to YOUR health, in the polite form." So from then on I toast with "Vashestrovya." I toasted some "modern" Russians that way once, and they laughed, at how "old fashioned" that was!
Petr:
--- Quote from: Forum Admin on April 22, 2011, 09:35:44 AM ---Yes, it is quite true that the Imperial Russian accent was very different from modern Russian, and some grammar usage as well.
--- End quote ---
I can confirm this having grown up as an émigré in a Russian family speaking "quaint" Russian. When confronted by modern Russians who are puzzled by both my vocabulary and usage I tell them the Russian I speak is "Russian in a bottle", it has never been subject to the influences that affected and developed the language after the Revolution. Sadly, to my way of thinking, the Bolsheviks greatly coarsened the language (compare Pushkin, Tchutchev and Lermontov to some of the young Bolshevik era poets (other than those that pre-dated the Revolution such as Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, Mandelshtam)) by deliberately introducing various nationalistic (stripping out foreign words) contractions (viz., "vertalet" for "gelikoptr" and "samolet" for "aroplan") and obliterating the more mannered way of speaking that characterised pre-Revolutionary Russia (viz., your Тётя). In the process of eliminating whole classes of people who were educated, cultured and had been exposed to various languages (and a more genteel existence) it was inevitable that the language would contract and suffer. The language of public discourse changed as well as the Government used more "revolutionary" and "marxist" rhetoric. It is the problem of reverting the mean for ideological reasons to the lowest common denominator. Again, the habit of contracting things (viz., Sovnarkom, Cheka, etc.) pushed the language towards a more short-handed nomenclature. Furthermore, the terrible experiences of the Stalin era had a deleterious effect on the language. One can't be a "Zek" sitting in a camp and expect to be gracious and mannered and, in any case, to speak in such a way made one immediately suspect. Finally, Russian like any other language is a living thing which reflects its time and place and it is inevitable that the Russian language would have evolved. Of course, whether the manner in which it evolved was "good " or "bad" is a matter of personal opinion. I should add that I don't like Hip Hop or Rap either even if it is deemed modern urban poetry but then again I live in a bottle.
Petr
Nathalie:
Thank you for the replies - I hope this thread will shed some new light on this topic..well, new for ME at least:)
Its very interesting for me, because -though I guess its not obvious from my (poorish) English, but forgive me, I'm always in a "rush" when I'm online- I am very much into different languages, I am also teaching a foreign language and such questions interest me...
"The language of public discourse changed as well as the Government used more "revolutionary" and "marxist" rhetoric. "
That is peculiar. In my country, socialism was only introduced in 1945 (well, apart from a brief intermezzo in 1919), but I haven't really noticed any drastic change in our language (considering that I am an ardent reader of classics)
But I can imagine it though..Sounds pretty "orwellish"....
Anyway, that brings up a very good point too (sorry for venting a bit) concerning the evolution and/or devalvation of language(s)...Seems like you consider, that switching to a rather "marxist rhetoric" contaminated the language, at least that is the feeling I get from the post.
But I also think, that languages are like societies, they simply change with time...
"Russian like any other language is a living thing which reflects its time and place and it is inevitable that the Russian language would have evolved. "
Exactly:)
I am very curious though, how does the "old" spoken Russian sound, but I am sure that if I am able to master the "textbook Russian" (and why not-)), I will get the chance to get to know the Russian of the pre revolution days.
Nathalie:
Fine, I will try to revive the topic - with another question:) (what a surprise...heh)
I've read Robert O. Crummy's book on the Russian aristocracy in the 17th century ("Aristocrats and Serviteurs") where it is written, thatwhen addressing the throne, boyars usually adopted a self-effacing tone, referring to themselves as the tsar's slaves, and using a lower class form of their names - a nickname and surname, without the patronymic, "the sign of social distinction".
I wonder was it a tradition throughout the whole Romanov-era?
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