There are many Anglicisms in the Russian language. But many Russian words have also passed into other languages and have firmly settled there. Russians have a lot of subjects and concepts that do not exist in other cultures. The words denoting them often migrated into foreign languages without translation.
Balalaika – Балалайка
The balaika is a traditional Russian musical instrument. It did not work out to translate it, so the balalaika entered foreign languages.
Vodka – Водка
In restaurants around the world, when ordering Russian vodka, you don’t have to worry that the waiter won’t understand what you want.
Kvass – Квас
The most famous non-alcoholic Russian drink has also been completely borrowed by other languages. He went into English, Spanish, Portuguese and many more languages.
Borsch – Борщ
Foreigners sometimes go to restaurants with Slavic cuisine and order borscht with bacon there. Americans love this dish very much!
Sable – Соболь
Russian Russian merchants brought sables to the West, but there was no separate word for them, and they named this fur the same way it was pronounced in Russian. In English it became “sable”, in German – “zobel”, and in French – “zibeline”.
Beluga – Белуга
Sevryuga – Севрюга
Sterlet – Стерлядь
The names of Russian fish have also been translated into English: beluga, sevryuga and sterlet. Once upon a time, foreigners tasted Russian fish and left these names in their language.
Pirozhki – Пирожки
Pies have settled in the Japanese language in the plural. This word also entered the German language through the Volga Germans. Pirozhki is sometimes used in English as well.
Kefir – Кефир
It can also be found in American stores, however, it is not particularly popular there.
Babushka – Бабушка
Here we are talking about a close relative, and not about the fashionable way to tie a handkerchief.
Samovar – Samovar
The word “samovar” is no less popular among foreigners. Another attribute of Russian culture, along with a matryoshka and a balalaika. In foreign languages, it is called “samovar”.
Taiga – Тайга
That’s what Americans call the forests of Russia and Canada.
Perestroika – Перестройка
Another word that foreigners got from Russian history is the famous “perestroika”. Most foreigners associate this word with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Intelligentsia – Интеллигенция
In English, there is a word “intelligence”, which means “intelligence”, “mental abilities”. But it is precisely in the meaning of the class of people engaged in complex mental work that this word entered the language as “intelligentsia”.
By Alyona Ushakova Source
