HISTORY THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS OF THE

OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Professor Viktor V.Kabakchi

http://vorto.ru/statyi/istoriya-v-zerkale-oksfordskogo-slovarya-ili-opyt-leksikograficheskoy-istoriografii

Latin 40304 French 23151 Greek 8145 German 3479 Italian 2077 Spanish 1728 Japanese 501 Russian 400 Portuguese 393 Chinese 325 Czech 22 Ukrainian 2

Multilingualism of the OED

EARLY RUSSIANISMS in the OED

the Rus se [a1525 OED1 Online 2013 Russ]

The seals, walrosses, and cod, caught in the Russian seas, are likewise very important articles. [1796, Amer. Universal Geogr.; OED1 Online 2013 walrus].

Richard Chancellor (d.1556) => the Muscovy Company

They worship the Sunne, the Ollen, and the Losy and such like. [1613, S. Purchas Pilgrimage iv. xvii. 431; OED1 Online 2013 losh]

Unknown words in Muscovy

beluga (1591) sevruga (1591) starlet (1591) omul (1706) osetr (1753) nerka (1764) gorbuscha (1784)

The Razumovskiy carries, among former rarities, smoked or cured sturgeon ... and salmon (syomga, gorbusha, keta, and nerka). [2002, Harper's Mag.; OED1 Online 2013: nerka, n.].

Fish

There are also a fishes teeth, which fish is called a Morsse. (a1556 R. Chancellor in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1598) I. 237; OED Online 2013 morse).

The morse (walrus), an aquatic mammal of the same order as the seal. [1992 Yale French Stud. No. 81. 13; OED Online 2013 morse]

Ikra vs caviar(e): The Muscovites call it Ikary, and the Italians Cavaiar. [1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius Voy. & Trav. Ambassadors 87; OED1 Online 2013 ikary]

Of Ickary or Cauery, a great quantitie is made vpon the..Volgha out of the fish called Bellougina. [1591 G. Fletcher Of Russe Common Wealth iii. f. 9v; OED1 Online 2013 beluga].

Morse vs walrus?

«Beluga malossol» [OED3 Online 2013 malossol:

1959]

In euery great towne of his Realme he hath a Caback or drinking house, where is sold ... mead, beere, etc.[1591 G. Fletcher Of Russe Common Wealth xii. f. 44; OED1 Online 2012 caback]. vodka (1802-3).

They beginne commonly with a Chark, or small cuppe of Aqua vitæ. [1591 G. Fletcher Of Russe Common Wealth xxviii. f. 112v; OED1 Online 2013 chark].

Vodka vs brandy

The liquors in use among the Russians: viz. quas, braga, or small-beer, beer, and Russ brandy. [1780 W. Tooke tr. J. G. Georgi Russia II. 319; OED1 Online 2013 Russ].

The peasantry ... still prefer their national brandy, called vodka. [1833 R. Pinkerton Russia 74; OED1 Online 2013 vodka]

voda water + endearing diminutive suffix –ka (Barnhart R.K. (ed.) The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology. Wilson Co., 1988).

Vodka vs brandy

Crim [OED3 Online 2013 Crim: c1560] => CRIMEA

slave n [ME sclave, fr. OF or ML; OF esclave, fr. ML sclavus, fr. Sclavus Slav; from the frequent enslavement of Slavs in central Europe] (14c) [EncBrWebster; OED1 Online 2013 Slav]

Whole Rivulets of an Oily substance, by them call'd Nefte. [1698 J. Crull Antient & Present State Muscovy I. 48; OED2 Online 2013 nefte].

Nefte =?= oil This Oyle is blacke, and is called Nefte. [c1575 G. Ducket in R. Eden Martyr's Decades (1577) f. 328v; OED2 Online 2013 nefte].

We saw ... above thirty sources of Nefte, which is a kind of Medicinal Oil. [1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius Voy. & Trav. Ambassadors 402; OED2 Online 2013 nefte].

http://vorto.ru/statyi/istoriya-v-zerkale-oksfordskogo-slovarya-ili-opyt-leksikograficheskoy-istoriografii(in Russian)

История в зеркале Большого Оксфордского

словаря (OED)

Questions?