[SEELA NGS] The Г in ГУМ

[Francoise Rosset]

>imagine institutes and workplaces no longer have a krasnyi ugalok. 
> How many 20 year old Russians would even know what it is?

I thought krasnyi ugolok was also one pf the terms used for the icon 
corner of the room/house. If so, 20-year old Russians nowadays would 
know THAT.

Terms with "krasnyi" long predate whatever their Soviet-era usage was.

I imagine Alina's point was that the change in GUM interests mostly us 
intellectual types, while "ignorance" of the change in the BP acronym 
(allegedly no longer "British" Petroleum even though we all know that 
was exactly what its name was) seems to set politicos and diplomats on 
edge. And heavens, no, I am NOT making the point that politicos and 
diplomats are better than us, just louder.

I don't see why her comment is not relevant, especially if her point 
was that there are even more tricky acronym changes afoot.
-FR



Francoise Rosset, Associate Professor
Chair, Russian and Russian Studies
Coordinator, German and Russian
Wheaton College
Norton, Massachusetts 02766
Office: (508) 285-3696
FAX:   (508) 286-3640

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