'kushat''

[Edward M Dumanis]

On Mon, 2 Apr 2001, Henning Andersen wrote:

> There is an old rhyme ascribed to Majakovskij
>
> Kogda ja jem
> Ja glux i nem.
> Kogda ja kushaju
> Ja prigovarivaju i slushaju.
>
> The difference in sense it plays with seems to be at variance with some
> current usage. Comments?
>
> H
>
I do not know this particular version and whether it has anything to do
with Majakovskij but the version that I know shows the similarity in the
meaning:

 Kogda ja jem
 Ja gluh i nem.
 Kogda ja kushaju
 Ja nikogo ne slushaju.

This rhyme was used to teach children not to speak when eating.

As I have observed from the messages posted so far on this thread, one
might decide that "est'" can be always used instead of "kushat'" but it is
not so.
E.g., "kushajte, pozhalujsta" is a correct polite form of an invitation to
eat while "esh'te, pozhalujsta" would be used more often to insist on
eating rather than to invite to eat.
On many occasions these words are used as synonims, but not always.
For example, "the dinner is served" can be translated as "kushat' podano"
but never with "est'" used instead.

In general, the messages from Denis Akhapkine and Natalia Samoilova give a
very good account on the usage of these two words.

Edward Dumanis <dumanis at acsu.buffalo.edu>

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