Russian Civil War: NRA DVR & old maids

Tue May 16 16:20:19 UTC 2006

Yes, I agree with this comment. Besides, in villages they also say "devchata". But there is smth else here... I think it has also a lot to do with the generation someone belongs to. My father used to say "devchata" very often when addressing all the ladies his age at every party at his home, no matter that they didn't belong to the working class. Sure, it was kind of humorous, but only humorous, not ironical. So I think it has smth to do with all those movies of his youth: "Devchata", "Vesna na zarechnoi ulitse", "Koroleva benzokolonki", "Vysota", etc., which I myself like very very much. Those were "kul'tovye fil'my" if I understand the meaning of this term correctly.
And all those his age, the war and post-war generation, still use "devchata" which is, sure, informal, but not "devchionki".
So I would say that the word "devchata" is in the process of disappearing from the Russian language... From the other side, in Ukrainian there is a quite normal, not archaic and not informal word "divchata". Then maybe in  the Russian-speaking part of Ukraine the word will live longer. Languages influence each other in both directions.
Regards,
Maryna Vinarska

Alina Israeli <aisrael at AMERICAN.EDU> wrote: >On the subject of -ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½[devchenka] is anyone on the list able
>to detect a difference in meaning or usage between the plural forms
>-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½[devchenki] and -ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½-ï¿½[devchata]?

Devchata are working class usually and is a synonym to devushki as in a TV
(once) show "A nu-ka, devushki!", would not be "A nu-ka devchata!".

Devchonki, if related to those past age 15, as Maryna Vinarska wrote  could
be "male persons will also call their female ex-classmates".

__________________________
 Alina Israeli
 LFS, American University
 4400 Mass. Ave., NW
 Washington, DC 20016

 phone:    (202) 885-2387
 fax:      (202) 885-1076 

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