language query

[Robert A. De Lossa]

Heigh, ho!

1) I was taught that ia govoriu na russkom iazyke is iterative,
underscoring the implied Na kakom iazyke vy govorite? Also, n.b., use of
zhe with na russkom iazyke phrases vs. po-russki (I'll let the Russianists
talk about that...)

2) No influence from the instrumental construction in Ukrainian is possible
there; it's usage in Ukrainian varies.

3) Leonid Kravchuk (West Ukrainian, former President of Ukraine) has much
"better" (i.e., closer to textbook CSR) than Mykhail Gorbachov. Go figure.
The latter learned it as a foreign language, probably, and then sharpened
it up as he rose through the Party structure. Ukrainian Russian is as
varied as Russian Russian (awkwardness intended)--just as American English
is as varied as British English.

Happy weekend to all. Rob De Lossa

____________________________________________________
From:
Robert De Lossa
Director of Publications
Ukrainian Research Institute
Harvard University
1583 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
617-496-8768 tel. 617-495-8097 fax.
"rdelossa at fas.harvard.edu"