Odessa/surzhyk

[Robert DeLossa]

Surzhyk refers to "mixed" Ukrainian and Russian (it literally means a
mixture of different grains in flour or a mash) and is currently used as a
designation for various types of "substandard" (in the minds of native
speakers) language. There are different types of surzhyk, Russian-based
with strong phonetic and lexical Ukrainianisms, Ukrainian-based with strong
Russian lexicalism, syntax switching, etc. If you're interested in it
further, Laada Bilaniuk recently completed a Ph.D. dissertation at
UMichigan on the phenomenon. I can put interested parties in touch with her
(but ask me off-list).

Also, sorry for the two typos in the original post: for "by virtual of"
please read "by virtue of" and for "thanked here" please read "thanked her."

Best, Rob DeLossa

>
>Thanks for your interesting post.  I take it from the context and
>from the literal meaning of the Ukrainian word that <surzhyk> refers
>to some kind of mixture of Ukrainian and Russian.  Is this a more or
>less generally used term for such?  Does it refer to Russified
>Ukrainian or Ukrainianized Russian?
>
>Jim Rader
>

____________________________________________________
Robert DeLossa
Director of Publications
Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University
1583 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138
617-496-8768; fax. 617-495-8097
reply to: rdelossa at fas.harvard.edu
http://www.sabre.org/huri