Brat ’ ili ne brat’?

[Paul B. Gallagher]

[Resending because I didn't notice oothappam was diverting replies to 
his private address]

oothappam wrote:

> Languages change and grow because they are alive. It's a wondrous
> thing! 

Absolutely!

> That being said, I still get the creepy feeling that by the time I
> learn this one, it will have changed so much that I'll have to start
> all over again. The world is changing so fast! It would be nice if
> America would stay in America, and that the rest of the countries 
> could retain their beautiful, unique languages and culture.

Where do you think we got our rich, beautiful English language? Much of
it was borrowed or stolen from other languages. Russian, too, has
enriched itself by borrowing from Church Slavic, Italian, German,
French, and so forth.

The question is not whether to borrow, but when and in what proportions.
Protectionism will just produce stodgy, stilted, stuffy bureaucratese
that no one can be proud of.

Still, nobody better touch /my/ language (baby). ;-)

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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