"Kremnistyi put'"?

[David Powelstock]

Dear Peter,

Kuznetsov 1998 cites that line of "Vykhozhu" as an example of the
"traditsionno-poeticheskoe" usage of kremnistyi to mean simply 'kamenistyi.'


On the other hand, he gives a second definition of kremnistyi:
"Soderzhashchii kremnii," "kremnii" is defined as "Khimicheskii element
(Si), temno-serye s metallicheskim bleskom kristally kotorogo vkhodiat v
sostav bol'shinstva gornykh porod."  

"Si" is silicon: "Silicon is not found free in nature, but occurs chiefly as
the oxide and as silicates. Sand, quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, agate,
flint, jasper, and opal are some of the forms in which the oxide appears.
Granite, hornblende, asbestos, feldspar, clay, mica, etc. are but a few of
the numerous silicate minerals."
(http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/14.html) 

Dal' has "kremnistyi" as adjective to "kremén'": "samyi tverdyi i zhestkii
iz prostykh kamnei, sluzhivshie prezhde osobenno dlia dobychi ognia (do
samogarnykh spichek)."  So for Dal', it means containing flint, which
contains silicon.  

The upshot seems to be that Lermontov has his cake and eats it too.  It's a
stony path, but nearly all the stones one might find in the
mountains--granite, flint, feldspar, quartz--would have silicon in them and
so be able to sparkle to varying degrees.  It's also beautiful to the ear.
I would try to translate it as 'flinty' in this context, if anyone's asking.

I would be interested to hear of pre-Lermontovian examples of the usage that
means simply 'kamenistyi.'  I'm skeptical that this was "traditionally
poetic" before MIuL.  Seems like Kuznetsov may have been slacking a bit
here, but I'd be glad to learn differently.

Cheers,
David Powelstock
Brandeis University

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
> [mailto:SEELANGS at listserv.cuny.edu] On Behalf Of Peter Scotto
> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 4:05 PM
> To: SEELANGS at listserv.cuny.edu
> Subject: [SEELANGS] "Kremnistyi put'"?
> 
> Anybody know why the put' is  "kremnistyi" in Lermontov's "Vykhozhu odin
> ia na dorogu..."
> 
> Does he have anything specific in mind (i.e. Caucasian geology) or is
> this mainly poetical?
> 
> Peter Scotto
> Mount Holyoke College
> 
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