old maids

[atacama@global.co.za]

Well, I come from a generation and a background (White Russian)
where -all- the words mentioned would be considered rude or at 
least disparaging and used only for the working classes or servants.

Ok words would be:

Devochka - little girl
Devushka - young maiden
Staraya deva - old spinster
Deva - unmarried woman
Devistza (archaic use is OK)

Devka (a peasant wench) ...not so OK.

Regards,

Vera




Original Message:
-----------------
From: John Dunn J.Dunn at SLAVONIC.ARTS.GLA.AC.UK
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 10:34:53 +0100
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Russian Civil War: NRA DVR & old maids


Many thanks to Alina and Maryna for their helpful and intriguing answers to
my question about девчата[devchata] and девчонки[devchonki].
My recollection, quite possibly dimmed by the passing decades, is that both
forms were used by students of both sexes and all genders in Rostov
University at the start of the 1970s.  I may be adding two and two to
produce a very irrational number indeed, but all this makes me wonder
whether девчата[devchata] is a South Russianism and whether this is
what causes it to be perceived as a 'working class' feature.  

Lurking behind my question, however, was a totally different issue, namely
that of whether девчата[devchata] functioned as a collective plural,
essentially as the feminine of ребята[rebiata].  There are certain
situations where Russian distinguishes between 'ordinary' and collective
plurals (e.g. три мужика[tri muzhika] vs трое
мужиков[troe muzhikov]), and I was wondering if
девчата[devchata]/девчонки[devchonki] was another example of
this phenomenon.  

John Dunn.
John Dunn
SMLC (Slavonic Studies)
University of Glasgow
Hetheringon Building
Bute Gardens
Glasgow G12 8RS
U.K.

Tel.: +44 (0)141 330 5591
Fax: +44 (0)141 330 2297
e-mail: J.Dunn at slavonic.arts.gla.ac.uk

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