Russian mat

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Mat (Russian: мат, матерщи́на, ма́терный язы́к) is a Russian patois language, based on the use of specific generally unprintable obscene words. Russian mat makes it possible to have a conversation (although not always insulting, but always emotional) using mainly obscene words, which is what sets Russian mat apart from the obscenities of most languages. Russian mat is an indispensable attribute of most groups consisting solely of males, recently getting into the female-only groups, and the practices of mat speaking in the mixed groups are to be reduced to the last twenty or thirty years. [1] . Use of Russian mat in a public place constitutes a form of disorderly conduct, punishable under article 20.1.1 of the Offences Code of Russia, however the chances to be punished for the common use of mat in public are virtually zero.

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[edit] Background

The origins of mat are lost in the mists of time. Russian anthropologists think that it evolved from ancient myth and magical beliefs. However, they offer divergent interpretations of the basic formula.[2] It is commonly believed that the name mat derives from mat′ (Russian мать, "mother," where the prime represents the soft sign) The term might rather come from a word meaning "loud yell," which is now used in only a few expressions such as благим матом. The use of mat is widespread, especially in the army, the criminal world, and many other all-male milieus. The basic formula of mat, in its most common variant, is: YOB TVOYU MAT' (Ёб твою мать) (fucked your mother), with the familiar "ty" form implying contempt (as opposed to the more grammatically and socially proper use of "vy", similar to the distinction between the French "tu" and "vous"). In this variant the subject of the sentence is omitted, but there is also an expanded variant in which it is made explicit: PYOS YOB TVOYU MAT' ("[A] [male dog] fucked your mother").[3] Mikhailin points also to the social influence of the criminal milieu through the labor camps, where criminals were favored and allowed to dominate the "political" prisoners. Thus thieves' (blatnoi) customs, aesthetic standards, and jargon (of which mat is a significant part) penetrated the law-abiding population, especially the male adolescent subcultures of city courtyards. That mat belongs to the ancient layers of the Russian language (the first written mat words date to Middle Ages[citation needed]). It was first introduced into literature in the 18th century by the poet Ivan Barkov, whose poetry, combining lofty lyrics with brutally obscene words, may be regarded as a forerunner of Russian literary parody.

[edit] Key words

The key elements of mat are:

  • khuy (Russian Ru-Khuy.ogg хуй (help·info)) — penis, or for equivalent colloquial effect, cock
    • from PIE *ks-u-, related to khvoya (Russian хвоя, meaning pine needles), attributed to Pederson, 1908.[1] [2]
    • from PIE *hau-, related to khvost (Russian хвост, meaning tail), attributed to Merlingen, 1955 [3]
    • other controversial etymologic hypotheses appear every now and again: [4]
      • from Mongolian hui, meaning sheath, scabbard. This was the etymology endorsed by the Soviet government and attributed to Maxim Gorky, who claimed it was a loan word, imposed during Mongol yoke.
      • from Latin huic (lit. "for that", used on prescriptions for genital diseases) via rederivation, similar to Russian zont from Dutch zondeck. Old Russian "ud/uda" (from PIE root *ud- meaning "up, out") became taboo in mid-18th century, requiring the euphemisms khui and kher. [5] [6] [7]
      • from the second-person singular imperative form of the Ukrainian khovati ховати, meaning hide, stash. Commonly regarded as a joke etymology.
  • pizda (Russian Ru-Pizda.ogg пизда́ (help·info)) — (Romanian pizda) cunt
  • yebat′ (Russian Ru-Yebat.ogg еба́ть (help·info)) — to fuck
    • from PIE *eibati ("to fuck"), cf Old High German "eiba" and Sanskrit "yabhati"; From ancient Russian, "poYat'" means just to touch someone.
  • blyad′ (Russian блядь) — whore is simply a re-transcription of yet normative "Bludnica" (the wandering woman)
    • from PIE root cognate with English "blind"; the word was not banned from literary use at the time of Avvakum, who used it to describe various heresies and various expressions based on these terms. Also, the 15th century merchant-traveler Afanasii Nikitin used it simply as "concubine," without any obscene connotations.

The stems can be combined in many ways to generate a rather large range of new words based on them through the use of prefixes and suffixes. The first volume of the "Large Mat Dictionary" (большой словарь мата) treats only expressions with the word khuy, numbering over 500 entries.[citation needed]

A detailed article by Victor Erofeyev (translated by Andrew Bromfeld) analyzing the history, overtones, and sociology of mat appeared in the 15 September 2003 issue of The New Yorker.

[edit] Further vocabulary

Additionally, the following words are considered almost as offensive, and can also be regarded as mat:

  • yelda (елда́) — "big penis";
  • gondon (гондо́н), derived from "condom", but it is a tabooed word and may be used figuratively;
  • kher (хер) "penis"; somewhat less offensive than "khuy"; the actual meanings of kher is the old Russian name of the letter "X" Kha, which became strongly associated with the actual "khuy" (cf. the term "F-word" in English). Interestingly enough, the old word "pokherit'" which used to mean "to cross out," "to delete", now tends to be contaminated with the relatively new meaning of "kher" (i.e., obscene "penis"), thus achieving an obscene meaning, also.
  • manda (манда́) — "vagina";
  • mudak (муда́к) — "smart ass", "git". Another often-used derivative is mudilo (муди́ло) which only bears an abstract offensive meaning and is somewhat equal to "motherfucker." Sometimes, mudak and mudilo are used as equivalents of "moron," e.g. Вася - полный мудило, ему жена изменяет, а он радуется. - Vasya is a complete moron: his wife cheats on him, but he's still glad.
  • mudi (mudya) (му́ди, мудя) — "testicles". Rarely used and considered old-fashioned.
  • pidoras (пидора́с), a bastardization of pederast, meaning a male homosexual in Russian. The condensed forms pidor (пи́дор), "pedrila" (педри́ла) are also used. More often than not (though not necessarily), refers to a passive pederast. Often used as a general term like "asshole" or "motherfucker";
  • sraka (сра́ка) — "anus," "butt," "asshole", from the verb srat' (срать) - to make shit.
  • zalupa (залу́па) means "penis head" (from old Russian "lupit'" - here, "to peel off" (like "lupit' jajtso" - "to peel off egg shell"); therefore, this is "what you can see when the foreskin is pulled back or removed").
  • drochit' (дрочи́ть) — "to masturbate" (oneself or someone). drochit'sya' (дрочиться) - "to masturbate" (oneself). From Old Russian дрочити (to pet, to pamper)

The following words are considered vulgar and often used in mat expressions, but are not regarded as mat on its own:

  • zhopa (жо́па), zadnica (за́дница) - ass, arse, butt
  • govno (говно́) — shit. Cognate to Sanskrit guváti ("(he) defecates") and Avestan gūʮa- ("shit"), from PIE. Note: this and it's synonym der'mo (дерьмо́) are used as exclamations the way that "Shit!" is used in English. "Blya!" (derived from "blyad'") is also used.
  • khren (хрен) - literally "horse-radish", but some may think that it is the mildest euphemism for "khuy"; khren, also means an unpleasant man, and khren' (хрень) is a milder term similar to bullshit, somewhat like crap, used in very similar fashion, both in exclamations and to indicate disbelief or disrespect
  • srat' (срать) — "to shit"
  • ssat' (ссать) — "to piss"
  • perd'et' (перде́ть) — "to fart"
  • trakhat' (тра́хать) — an euphemism for "to fuck"; literally "to hit"
  • suka (су́ка) — bitch (the same original meaning: female dog)

[edit] Classical poetry with mat

Mikhail Lermontov ("A Holiday in Peterhof" - "Петергофский праздник", 1834)

And so, I will not pay you
However, if you are a simple blyad'
You should consider it an honour
To be acquainted with the cadet's khuy!
Russian:
Итак, тебе не заплачу я:
Но если ты простая блядь,
То знай: за честь должна считать
Знакомство юнкерского хуя!

Ivan Barkov ("Luka Mudischev", prologue; actually, this work was probably written at some time in the mid 19th century, but was ascribed to Ivan Barkov, an equally obscene poet who lived in the 18th century [4])

Oh you, men' wives, or widows fair,
Or maids with 'cherry' there intact!
Let me tell you some humble fact
About fucking out there.
Make fucking fair and accurate,
The rarer fuck means fortunate -
The Holy God shall save all ya
From some disorderly ebnya.
As uncontrollable-kind passion,
Leads only to disaster's ashen,
And satisfied you won't be right
With usual yelda-bearing knight.
Russian:
О вы, замужние, о вдовы,
О девки с целкой наотлет!
Позвольте мне вам наперед
Сказать о ебле два-три слова.
Ебитесь с толком, аккуратно,
Чем реже ебля, тем приятней,
И боже вас оборони
От беспорядочной ебни!
От необузданной той страсти
Пойдут и горе и напасти,
И не насытит вас тогда
Обыкновенная елда.

[edit] See also

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Russian mat

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Vadim Mikhailin, Russkii mat kak muzhskoi obstsennyi kod: problema proiskhozhdeniia i evoliutsiia statusa (Russian Mat as a Male Obscene Code: The Problem of Origin and Evolution of Status) (Saratov, 2003)
  2. ^ http://www.pipss.org/document93.html|Vadim Mikhailin, Russian Army Mat as a Code System Controlling Behaviour in the Russian army
  3. ^ http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/8513.cfm#2 Mat JRL RESEARCH & ANALYTICAL SUPPLEMENT ~ JRL 8290 Issue No. 28 • December 2004
  4. ^ http://barkoviana.narod.ru/luka_preface.html Лука Мудищев» — история и мифология расхожие заблуждения "Luka Mudischev" - The History and Mythology:Widespread Misconceptions (in Russian) accessed Aug 8, 2008

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_mat"
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