Unitaz = "Universal'nyi Taz" = Toilet Bowl

[John Dunn]

I have never before encountered this explanation for унитаз [unitaz].  It would be interesting to know how widely accepted it is.  Nevertheless, those of us who have stared into the abyss of piece of ceramic ware with the trade-name Unitas may prefer to follow Ushakov and other lexicographers in favouring a different explanation.

To change the subject slightly, it occurs to me that унитаз is one of a small group of trade-names that have become generic terms in Russian.  There is the fairly obscure клаксон [klakson] and the more recent скотч [skotch] and ксерокс [kseroks]; no doubt there are others that I haven't thought of.  In the 1970s I found it intriguing to come across the pre-revolutionary геркулес [gerkules], as in геркулесовая каша [gerkulesova kasha].  In connection with the last example I am told that something similar happened in Spanish with Quaker Oats.  Can anyone confirm this?

John Dunn.


-----Original Message-----
From: Vera Beljakova <atacama at GLOBAL.CO.ZA>
To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:42:19 +0200
Subject: [SEELANGS] Unitaz = "Universal'nyi Taz" = Toilet Bowl

Unitaz is actually the ceramic "Toilet Bowl" (Universal'nyi Taz)

TASS - the USSR news agency (like Reuters) was also refered to
disparagingly as "Unitaz"  ("He works for the toilet bowl")

Difference between Toilet and Lavatory is that the latter is for the actual
bodily function of elimination, while Toilette (in theory) is where ladies
undertook their "toilette" (freshing up/make-up, etc.) and might even have a dressing table
and certainly good mirrors.

Vera Beljakova
Johannesburg

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



John Dunn
Honorary Research Fellow, SMLC (Slavonic Studies)
University of Glasgow, Scotland

Address:
Via Carolina Coronedi Berti 6
40137 Bologna
Italy
Tel.: +39 051/1889 8661
e-mail: J.Dunn at slavonic.arts.gla.ac.uk
johnanthony.dunn at fastwebnet.it

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