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Yesterday a pal of mine requested me a really fascinating query. He heard a very talked-about music “Babooshka” by the British singer Kate Bush, taken from her album “By no means for Ever” that was launched in 1980 and was a success right now.
My pal heard that babooshka is a Russian phrase, however he could not discover out what it means. I made a decision to make a small investigation on this. And I used to be very shocked with what I discovered.
Firstly, let’s begin with the Webster dictionary. In accordance with it the primary that means of the phrase “babushka” is a lady’s scarf folded right into a triangle and tied below the chine; worn by Russian peasant ladies. These headscarves are nonetheless very talked-about and broadly worn by aged ladies in Russia and within the CIS these days. However the phrase in Russian, which is used to indicate this a part of garments, is scarf (“platok” in Russian), however not babushka as in English.
The second that means of the phrase babushka which is registered in English is granny, grandmother. In accordance with the Webster dictionary grandmother is the mom of 1’s father or mom. The identical that means goes in Russian. But when to look deeper into the cultural side of the phrase, various variations could be discovered. Grandmothers are totally different by their nationalities. Who’s granny in Russia? She is particular in each Russian hearts. She is the one who retires when her first grand-child is born to begin a brand new full-time job to take care of the little ones. If you wish to discover out folks from CIS about their babushka, you’ see a tear of their eyes, smile and an extended story about the very best teftelki (meat balls) ever!
Whereas learning the etymology of the phrase “babushka” within the Web, I’ve additionally discovered a number of extra meanings in English which aren’t registered within the dictionaries however broadly used at present. The primary is matreshka. This can be a set of picket figures which match one inside the opposite. Historically there are a minimum of 5 nested figures. They’ve cylindrical type, the outer layer is a lady wearing a sarafan and babushka. The outer look of matreshka – the identical headscarves, the identical picture of an older girl who cares for her beloved ones, the picture that makes you heat and really feel snug – launched a brand new that means of the phrase “babushka” in English – “matreshka”. In Russian such form of improvement isn’t traced.
One other that means which can be not registered with the dictionaries is a Christmas story about babushka and the three kings. It has been proved by the researches that this story has nothing to do with Russian folklore. It was discovered that within the later nineteenth century American author Edith Matilda Tomas mistook the Italian legend of La Befana in regards to the outdated woman who did not be part of the three clever males on their journey to see Child Jesus so now she wanders around the globe giving presents to children and hoping to seek out the Christ baby. The Russian kids have by no means heard of Babushka on this that means. Russian children do not have Babushka to carry them presents, it is Father Christmas – Father Frost, who does it.
However what in regards to the music “Babooshka”? As soon as in an interview Kate Bush defined that this music was a few spouse that exams her husband to see if he would idiot round on her, and he falls in love together with her pseudonym.
She needed to check her husband
She knew precisely what to do
A pseudonym to idiot him
So “babooshka” is used right here as a pseudonym. Kate Bush instructed that whereas scripting this music, the phrase “babooshka” got here to her thoughts subconsciously and at that second she hardly knew the that means of the phrase, simply supposing that that is the title of a Princess from a Russian story.
Summing it up, I’d say that it is a very uncommon language phenomenon in English when the Russian phrase which has obtained just one registered that means within the Russian dictionary, has been developed in English and has obtained a minimum of 4 meanings that solely exist within the English talking nations. Can we anticipate some extra developments? Let’s examine sooner or later!
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Source by Hanna Sles