The Russian is the elder brother, the first among equals

[FRISON Philippe]

It would of course be interesting to try and know when this expression became largely used, but isn't it first just a translation of the Latin "Primus inter pares", which has been widely used elsewhere ?

It may be possible that the expression became widely used in the USSR in effort to enhance the political cohesion of an ethnically heterogeneous country, with second secretaries being nearly everuwhere of Russian/Slav origin etc.

Philippe Frison

-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [mailto:SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of John Dunn
Sent: mercredi 7 mai 2008 17:04
To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] The Russian is the elder brother, the first among equals

According to K. Dushenko, Slovar' sovremennyx citat, p. 628, it is an anonymous formulation that becomes established during the 1930s.  His examples suggest that старший/-ая среди равных [starshij/-aja sredi ravnyx] is the more usual version.  It seems more a journalistic than a folk embodiment and in this incarnation, at least, refers to Russia's relationship to the other republics of the USSR.

John Dunn.

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Chandler <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>
To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 14:43:22 +0100
Subject: [SEELANGS] The Russian is the elder brother, the first among equals

Dear all,

русский - старший брат, первый среди равных!

I'm not sure if these words are an actual quotation from Stalin, or just a
kind of folk-embodiment of a widespread attitude.

Will be grateful for prosveschenie!

Best Wishes,

Robert

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

Address:
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Tel.: +39 051/1889 8661
e-mail: J.Dunn at slavonic.arts.gla.ac.uk
johnanthony.dunn at fastwebnet.it

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