ethnic terms in affectionate usage?

[Elena Gapova]

This is the same case as in "Ай да Пушкин, ай да сукин сын". Normally,
the phrase is extremely derogatory, but the situation in which it is used
and
the speaker's attitude  change the meaning to make the phrase an expression
 of admiration. I think in English "what a bastard! he did it!", said in a
certain situation with certain intonation can also mean approval. The
meaning
of the word is in its usage (according to Wittgenstein).

As for ethnic terms, my guess is that such usage is very gendered. I can
imagine how "khokhlushka moya" can be very affectionate, but cannot think of
the same affection tied to "khokhol".  This would work for other ethnic
names, too, because "ethnic women" were not perceived as a threat (to the
titular ethnicity's domination): they can be married and bear "our" children
(the lineage goes after a father). Not so with ethnic men: one had to be
careful with them (Poles could plot a conspiracy,  Chechens start a war, and
Tatars "had been robbing us for three hundred years"), and if they marry
"our women", they are taking away what should "belong to us".

Elena Gapova

----- Original Message -----
From: Barbara C. Allen <allen1861 at YAHOO.COM>
To: <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
Sent: 3 June 2004 8:37 AM
Subject: [SEELANGS] ethnic terms in affectionate usage?


> Dear Seelangers,
>
> Lately I've been rereading private, personal correspondence between
> revolutionaries Alexander Shliapnikov and Alexandra Kollontai.  I find
> that in these very affectionate letters Shliapnikov quite often calls
> Kollontai his "beloglazka" or "chukhna."  According to the dictionaries
> I've consulted, these are Russian derogatory terms for Finns.  It seems
> surprising that he would employ derogatory terms in love letters, so I
> wonder if the dictionary description is correct for all contexts.
> Please enlighten me.  And please forgive me if anyone is offended by
> these terms - that is certainly not my intention.
>
> As a side note, in published correspondence, Kollontai affectionately
> called her son "Khokhlenysh" and "Khokhlin'ka"!
>
> Sincerely,
> Barbara Allen
> La Salle University
>

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