palach

[Jules Levin]

>> Robert Chandler wrote:
>>> Dear all,
>>>
>>> Does anyone have any ideas as to how to translate 'palach', when his 
>>> role is not to execute someone but to whip them?
Two comments:  re etymology   From memory I think this was cited as a 
spelled akanye word, i.e., it "should" be
"polach", leaving us with a root *pol- + the common Russian agent suffix 
-ach.

Re translation.  Interesting that I seem to recall that in Giles 
Fletcher's Of the Russ Commonwealth, intended as a report to Queen 
Elizabeth, the Russ word "polachies" is cited with explanation.  So even 
Fletcher could not come up with a good English equivalent.  Maybe that's 
the solution!  Sometimes the original word is the best translation!
Jules Levin
Los Angeles

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