TRANSLATION PROBLEMS: REPLIES

[Alina Israeli]

>>>    I have noticed something. I have heard "drug" being used in the
>>> sense of a "boyfriend". Perhaps, it may be a new usage.
>
>I quote from Zhukovskij's Svetlana (1808-1812):
>Kak mogu, podruzhki, pet'?/ Milyj drug daleko;/ Mne sud'bina umeret'/ V
>grusti odinokoj.
>
>I doubt that Svetlana is referring to a platonic acquaintance.

Why not? Weren't those "gadan'ja"?

Those days it was "drug serdca", now, on the other hand...

Maybe there are studies about sexual habits in Alexandrian or Nikolaevan
Russia, similar to those that exist for Victorian England, maybe I am
totally wrong (about "serdechnyj drug" and my apologies to Jules Levin). I
seem to remember reading it somewhere years ago that about one third of
women marrying in Victorian times were pregnant. I never heard of such a
study on Russian territory.

AI

**************************************************************
Alina Israeli
LFS, American University                phone:  (202) 885-2387
4400 Mass. Ave., NW                     fax:    (202) 885-1076
Washington, DC 20016

aisrael at american.edu

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                http://members.home.net/lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------