[SEELA NGS] The Г in ГУМ

[anne marie devlin]

Of course it has huge implications - not only for teaching, but it shows very clearly the link between socio/economic and political ideologies and language.  No doubt this will be of great interest to sociolinguists.  Just as the onset of communism changed the language, its demise is also having a similar effect - think street names as an obvious example.  Consider how quickly tovarish fell out of use.  I imagine institutes and workplaces no longer have a krasnyi ugalok.  How many 20 year old Russians would even know what it is?

I'm intrigued about BP and would love to know the controversy

AM
 
> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:19:39 +0100
> From: john at RUSLAN.CO.UK
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] The Г in ГУМ
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> 
> Well, if Seelangs is a forum for Russian language teachers, then of course 
> GUM is important. It appears in most beginners courses, which will have to 
> be revised. Sad really as students like trying to pronounce 
> "Gosudarstvenny". I can't see the relevance to BP either.
> I checked with teachers in Moscow today - yes it is officially "Glavny" now, 
> but the signs haven't been changed.
> John Langran
> www.ruslan.co.uk
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mark Kingdom" <k2kingdom at GMAIL.COM>
> To: <SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2010 6:43 PM
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] The Г in ГУМ
> 
> 
> I'm not sure what the "this" refers to in the statement, "This is really
> nothing."
> As in, "This *topic* of the G in GUM is nothing?" Nor is it clear what BP
> has to do
> with GUM. Did I miss something?
> 
> I mean, compared with the plight of starving children all over the world,
> every discussion
> that's ever taken place on SEELANGS is really nothing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2010/8/22 Alina Israeli <aisrael at american.edu>
> 
> > Considering that BP stands for nothing now and Obama was chastized by
> > British Press and British diplomats for uttering the words "British
> > Petroleum", this is really nothing.
> >
> > AI
> >
> >
> > Aug 22, 2010, в 1:49 AM, Michele A. Berdy написал(а):
> >
> >
> > According to Wikipedia, the Г in ГУМ used to stand for Государственный
> >> (which is what I was taught)
> >> but *now* it stands for Главный (that's news to me). Can anyone verify
> >> that?
> >> The Г now means Главный?
> >>
> >> Yes. It was part of a "rebranding" effort. It's all very snazzy now.
> >> PS When you're all in town, do check out Gastronom #1 in the "line"
> >> farthest from Red Square. I'm not sure how to describe it. It's like a 
> >> movie
> >> version of a Stalinist era grocery store, only with gaspingly expensive
> >> prosciutto next to tins of sgushchenka. There are a few photos here
> >> http://www.gum.ru/shop/410
> >> but you've got to see it in person.
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > Alina Israeli
> > Associate Professor of Russian
> > LFS, American University
> > 4400 Massachusetts Ave.
> > Washington DC 20016
> > (202) 885-2387 fax (202) 885-1076
> > aisrael at american.edu
> >
> >
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