kum -- Skripka Rotshilda

[R. M. Cleminson]

This is absolutely correct.  Your кум is either the father of your godchild or the godfather of your child.  Like the Spanish compadre, to which it is apparently related (it belongs to the earliest stratum of Slavonic religious vocabulary, derived from Latin, though the precise relationship between Latin compater/commater and Slavonic купотръ/кмотра - кум/кума and intermediate variants is unclear), it is also used more broadly to indicate the sort of close friend whom one might invite to be a godparent.

----- Pôvodná správa -----
Od: "Anna Gunin" <ag.russian at GOOGLEMAIL.COM>
Komu: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Odoslané: piatok, 29. jún 2012 22:37:22
Predmet: [SEELANGS] kum -- Skripka Rotshilda

Dear all,

I'd be very grateful for opinions on Chekhov's use of "kum" in "Skripka Rotshil'da". As far as I understand, either Yakov is godfather to the cemetery warden's child or they are close pals.

"Чтобы не платить лишнего дьячку, Яков сам читал псалтырь, и за могилку с него ничего не взяли, так как кладбищенский сторож был ему кум."

Having searched and searched, the most helpful definitions I have found are these:

устар.   Немолодой мужчина, находящийся с кем-либо в приятельских отношениях или во внебрачной связи. 
(Толковый словарь Ефремовой. Т. Ф. Ефремова. 2000.)

Обращение к пожилому мужчине (обл.). «- Здорово, кум Фадей! Здорово, кум Егор!» Крылов.
(Толковый словарь Ушакова. Д.Н. Ушаков. 1935-1940.)

Many thanks in advance,

Anna

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