klass

[Richard Robin]

As far as I can tell, "klass" is one of those words like "inshurans," Russians
come here and pick it up in its American all-encompassing usage, sort of the
way American students start using "stolovaya" both at Middlebury and in
country: "I'm going to the stolovaya," (not cefeteria). Similarly lots of
Russians start saying things like "brat' klass." Nothing to do except to insist
on "zapisat'sja na kurs." -RR

Emily Tall wrote:

> Ben Rifkin's posting has reminded me of something I've been wondering
> about. My emigre students all say they are going to "klass" and "shkola."
> I know "shkola" is wrong and I try to make them say "zaniatiia," but now
> I've heard a visiting teacher of Russian use it as well. Is it used in
> Russia at all to speak of college classes? Several of them have used
> "ikhnii" and "lozhit" (instead of kladyot) as well. Is the sanest approach
> just to point out
> that those are "unacceptable" forms and leave it at that? When I do point
> it out they give me these strange looks...Emily Tall

--
Richard Robin - http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~rrobin
Chair, German and Slavic Dept.
The George Washington University
WASHINGTON, DC 20052
Can read HTML mail.
Читаю по-русски в любой кодировке.
Chitayu po-russki v lyuboi kodirovke.