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Trasianka ( be, трасянка, ) refers to a mixed form of speech in which
Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...
and
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries * Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and p ...
elements and structures alternate arbitrarily.Hentschel, Gerd Belarusian and Russian in the Mixed Speech of Belarus. In Besters-Dilger, J. et al. (eds.): “Congruence in Contact-Induced Language Change: Language Families, Typological Resemblance, and Perceived Similarity.” Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2014, 93-121. There is a similar phenomenon in Ukraine, a
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
–Russian language mixture, called
surzhyk Surzhyk (, ) refers to a range of mixed sociolects of Ukrainian and Russian languages used in certain regions of Ukraine and the neighboring regions of Russia and Moldova. There is no unifying set of characteristics; the term is, according to ...
.


Etymology

In Belarusian the word literally means low quality hay, when indigent farmers mix (shake: , ) fresh grass/straw with the yesteryear's dried hay. The word acquired the second meaning ("language mixture of low quality") relatively recently, in the second half of the 1980s, when a series of publications in the literary newspaper criticized developments in the use of the Belarusian language under Soviet rule.Zaprudski, Siarhiej Zur öffentlichen Diskussion der weißrussischen Sprachkultur, zum Aufkommen des Terminus Trasjanka und zur modernen Trasjankaforschung. In Hentschel, G. et al. (eds.): “Trasjanka und Surzhyk - gemischte weißrussisch-russische und ukrainisch-russische Rede. Sprachlicher Inzest in Weißrussland und der Ukraine?” Frankfurt/M.: Lang, in print.
Zianon Pazniak Zianon Stanislavavič Pazniak ( be, Зянон Станіслававіч Пазняк, born 24 April 1944) is a Belarusian nationalist politician, one of the founders of the Belarusian Popular Front and leader of the Conservative Christian ...
is often said to be the one who has popularized the use of the word for the Belarusian-Russian language mixture (see Pozniak, 1988). For the Belarusian-Russian borderland it has been reported that the phenomenon usually referred to by the term is called instead (this information is based on an interdisciplinary research carried out in the district of
Horki Horki ( be, Горкі, , pl, Horki) or Gorki (russian: Горки) is a town in the Mogilev Region of Belarus, an administrative center of Horki District. As of 2009, its population was 32,777. History For the first time Horki was mentioned ...
and Drybin in 2004).Smulkowa, E. and Engelking, A. (eds.) (2007). ''Pogranicza Bialorusi w perspektywie interdyscyplinarnej''. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo DiG. ,


History


Mixed speech in pre-Soviet and early Soviet era

In the area of present-day Belarus the mixing of speech has a relatively long history. This is because the Belarusian (and, similarly, Ukrainian) territories were for a long time borderlands in which local dialects contacted with closely related socially dominant languages ( Polish,
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries * Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and p ...
). Whether such older forms of mixing Belarusian with Russian should be referred to as “trasianka” is arguable as there was no intergenerational transfer of speech in those times. A literary example for this kind of mixing can be found in the 19th-century play by
Wincenty Dunin-Marcinkiewicz Vintsent Dunin-Marcinkievič ( be, Вінцэнт (Вінцук) Дунін-Марцінкевіч; pl, Wincenty Dunin-Marcinkiewicz; February 8, 1808 – December 21, 1884) was a Polish-Belarusian writer, poet, dramatist and social activist ...
''The Gentry of Pinsk'' (see the 1984 edition). Although it is a piece of art and not a record of everyday speech, it can be assumed that it reflects real language use (in certain situations with certain types of people) of that time. A first academic and journalistic debate on Belarusian-Russian mixed speech took place in the 1920s.


After World War II

The phenomenon referred to as “trasianka” since the 1980s had its origins in the fundamental socio-demographic changes which took place in Soviet Belarus after World War II, and in the eastern parts of Belarus partially already before World War II. The industrialization of Soviet Belarus led to a massive labor migration from villages to towns. While in 1959 31% of the population lived in towns, in 1990 the urban share had already reached 66%.Marples David A. “Belarus. From Soviet Rule to Nuclear Catastrophe.” Basingstoke, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 1996. At the same time ethnic Russians from other parts of the Soviet Union migrated to Soviet Belarus and, in many cases, took on leadership tasks in the Belarusian communist party, administration and state companies. Consequently, the language use of former Belarusian villagers - and new town dwellers - had to adapt from (mostly dialectal) Belarusian to standard Russian, a target which speakers seldom reached, however.Zaprudski, Sjarhej In the grip of replacive bilingualism: the Belarusian language in contact with Russian. “International Journal of the Sociology of Language” No. 183. (2007) 97-118 As a result of this struggle for linguistic accommodation, the so-called ''trasianka'' in its contemporary form emerged, and, moreover, children of its speakers grew up using mixed Belarusian-Russian variety. Hentschel, Gerd Belorusskij, russkij i belorussko-russkaja smeshannaja rech. “Voprosy jazykoznanija” No. 1. (2013) 53-76


Linguistic status

Due to the negative connotation of the word “trasianka” it has been suggested to abandon it in the linguistic debate and use the term “Belarusian-Russian mixed speech” instead.Hentschel, Gerd and Zeller, Jan Patrick Gemischte Rede, gemischter Diskurs, Sprechertypen: Weißrussisch, Russisch und gemischte Rede in der Kommunikation weißrussischer Familien. “Wiener Slawistischer Almanach” No. 70. (2012) 127-155 The scientific discussion on the Belarusian-Russian mixed speech has begun in the first half of the 1990s.Bieder, Hermann Die weißrussisch-russische Mischsprache (Trasjanka) als Forschungsproblem. In Hentschel, G. et al. (eds.): “Trasjanka und Surzhyk - gemischte weißrussisch-russische und ukrainisch-russische Rede. Sprachlicher Inzest in Weißrussland und der Ukraine?” Frankfurt/M.: Lang, in print. Influential Belarusian scholars have pointed out the spontaneous, individual, “piecemeal” or even “chaotic” fashion of Belarusian-Russian speech mixing.Mechkovskaia, Nina B. Iazykovaia situaciia v Belarusi: Eticheskiie kollizii dvuiazychiia. “Russian Linguistics” Vol. 18 No. 3. (1994) 299-322Cychun, H. A. Soziolinguistische, soziokulturelle und psychologische Grundlagen gemischten Sprechens. In Hentschel, G. et al. (eds.): “Trasjanka und Surzhyk - gemischte weißrussisch-russische und ukrainisch-russische Rede. Sprachlicher Inzest in Weißrussland und der Ukraine?” Frankfurt/M.: Lang, in print. These ‘early’ debates were based mainly on informal observations though, due to a lack of text bodies in the mixed speech. A first empirical case study on the phenomenon has been undertaken only in the early 2000s in the capital Minsk.Liskovets, Irina Trasjanka: A code of rural migrants in Minsk. “International Journal of Bilingualism” No. 13. (2009) 396-412 In the years 2008-2013 a research project carried out by linguists and social scientists at the University of Oldenburg (in cooperation with partners from the
Belarusian State University Belarusian State University (BSU) ( be, links=no, Белару́скі дзяржа́ўны ўніверсітэ́т, ; russian: links=no, Белору́сский госуда́рственный университе́т) is a university in Min ...
in Minsk) has created two bodies of oral texts in the mixed speech . The linguistic results of the mentioned research project attested the older view that Belarusian-Russian mixed speech could yet not be classified as one relatively stable, homogenous fused lect all over Belarus. On the other hand, on all levels of the linguistic structure several country-wide relatively stable patterns could be observed which the mixed speech shares with one or both of its “donor” languages (Belarusian and Russian) or which, respectively, make the mixed speech differ from both donor languages. Russian elements and traits clearly dominate in the lexicon as well as in morphosyntax. The inflectional morphology is obviously a hybrid, and even the pronunciation is influenced by Russian. All in all, the Belarusian-Russian mixed speech in its current stage is classified as a complex of regional social dialects. Other studies keep on describing the Belarusian-Russian mixed speech as a "chaotic" and "spontaneous" phenomenon of language mixing.Miachkouskia, Nina B. Trasjanka u kantynuume belaruska-ruskich idyjalektau: chto i kali razmauljae na trasjancy?. “Vesnik BDU” No. 1. Series 4 (2014)


Sociology of mixed speech use

The sociological and sociolinguistic component of the above-mentioned research project on mixed language use in Belarus showed, inter alia, the following results: Asked about their ‘native language’, roughly 38% of around 1200 respondents named the Belarusian-Russian mixed speech, 49% Belarusian and 30% Russian (more than one answer was allowed).Hentschel, Gerd and Kittel, Bernhard Weißrussische Dreisprachigkeit? Zur sprachlichen Situation in Weißrussland auf der Basis von Urteilen von Weißrussen über die Verbreitung ihrer Sprachen im Lande. “Wiener Slawistischer Almanach” No. 67. (2011) 107-135 As their ‘first language’ roughly 50% declared the mixed speech, 42% Russian and 18% Belarusian (again more than one answer was allowed). Finally, as their ‘primarily used language’ roughly 55% named Russian, 41% the mixed speech and 4% Belarusian. The results of the research project contradict the popular opinion that the use of Belarusian-Russian mixed speech is an indicator for a poor education level and a lack of proficiency in Russian or Belarusian standard language. The mixed speech is widespread among Belarusians from all educational levels and age groups and used alongside the standard language, which in most cases is Russian. The degree to which individuals tend to approximate ‘their’ mixed speech use to Russian or, respectively, to Belarusian depends on such factors as interlocutors, conversation place, topic etc. Among young Belarusians the relative weight of mixed speech use decreases in favour of Russian.


Phonology

Phonology of Belarusian-Russian mixed speech is closer to Belarusian. From the point of view of the Russian speaker, the following distinctions are noticeable: * presence of palatal affricate consonants z̪ʲ s̪ʲinstead of ʲ ʲ i.e. �dz̪ʲenʲ– "день", "day" – instead of �dʲenʲ �ts̪ʲixʲɪ– "тихий", "quiet" – instead of �tʲixʲɪjref name=":0">
* absence of palatalization of the consonant in front of i.e. �pjʉt– "пьют", "(they) drink" – instead of �pʲjʉtref name=":0" /> * assimilative palatalization of the consonants, i.e. �dz̪ʲvʲerɨ– "двери", "doors" – instead of �dvʲerʲɪref name=":0" /> * aspirate ʲ i.e. �sʲʰvʲatə("свята", "holiday"), �ʂɛsʲʰts̪ʲ("шесть", "six") * “hard” hushing sibilants, �͡ʂas in Belarusian instead of ͡ɕas in Russian, i.e. �ʈ͡ʂaʂkə– "чашка", "cup" – instead of �t͡ɕæʂkəref name=":0" /> * “hard” instead of ʲ i.e. �trapkə– "тряпка", "rag" – instead of �trʲæpkəref name=":0" /> * presence of non-syllabic bilabial in place of etymological (в) and (л) and instead of Russian normative in the end of the word, i.e. �praʊdə– "правда", "truth" – instead of �pravdə �voʊk– "волк", "wolf" – instead of �volk ʲɪˈsaʊ– "писал", "(he) wrote" – instead of ʲɪˈsalref name=":0" />


Vocabulary

Belarusian-Russian mixed speech mostly includes Russian words which have Belarusian analogue shaped by Belarusian phonology and morphology. Some examples of high-frequency Russian words are (Belarusian and English translations are given in parenthesis): * Nouns: (, "child"), (, "flower"), (, "money") * Verbs: (, "to work"), (, "to do"), (, "to wait") * Adjectives: (, "past"), (, "next"), (, "beautiful"), (, "bad") Many words have Russian stem, but other morphemes come from Belarusian. Part of vocabulary comes exclusively from Belarusian (Russian and English translations are given in parenthesis when necessary): * Family titles: (, "mother"), (, "father"), (, "daughter"); some words sound the same in both languages: ("son"), ("brother"), ("grandma"); or differ by regular phonetic substitutions: ("sister"), ("son-in-law"), ("daughter-in-law"), ("grandpa"), ("grandson"), ("bride"), ("bridegroom"). * Name of some fruits and vegetables: (, "potato"), (, "beet"), (, "thyme") * The word (, "home”) Professional and urban words are borrowed almost exclusively from Russian.


Morphology

Inflection mostly conforms with the norms of the Belarusian language. Russian and Belarusian have different norms of declension, especially case declension. For instance, in the instrumental case in Russian masculine nouns ending in -а have inflection -ей, -ой, while in Belarusian the ending becomes -ам – the norm that is present in Belarusian-Russian mixed speech: гаварыла з Мишам, з Вовам ("spoke with Misha, with Vova"). Verbs in the 3rd person singular miss final -т, including verbs coming from Russian: атвячае ("(she) answers"), знае ("(she) knows"), таргуе ("(she) sells"). Sometimes, it is replaced with -ц: атвячаець, знаець, таргуець. In the infinitive form of Russian verbs final -ть is replaced with -ц: весиць ("to weight"), знаць ("to know"). Postfix -ся is more frequently used, even when Russian norm requires -сь: началася ("(she has) started"), баялася ("(she) was afraid"), прышлося ("had to"), спуталася ("become tangled"), учылися ("(they) studied"). The imperative form is similar to the Belarusian norm: verbs ending in - or - which are under stress, i.e. ждицё мяне ("wait for me").


See also

* Taraškievica *
Narkamaŭka Narkamaŭka ( be, наркамаўка, narkamaŭka, or be, наркомаўка, narkomaŭka, ) is a colloquial name for the reformed Belarusian orthography. Evolved from the Belarusian ''narkam'' (), abbreviated early Soviet name for the min ...
*
Russification of Belarus The Russification of Belarus ( be, Расеізацыя Беларусі, Rasieizacyja Biełarusi; russian: Русификация Беларуси, translit=Rusyfikatsiya Byelarusi) is a policy of replacing the use of the Belarusian language an ...
*
Surzhyk Surzhyk (, ) refers to a range of mixed sociolects of Ukrainian and Russian languages used in certain regions of Ukraine and the neighboring regions of Russia and Moldova. There is no unifying set of characteristics; the term is, according to ...
* West Polesian language *
Russenorsk Russenorsk (; russian: Руссено́рск, ; en, Russo-Norwegian) is an extinct dual-source "restricted pidgin" language formerly used in the Arctic, which combined elements of Russian and Norwegian. Russenorsk originated from Russian tr ...
* Languages of Belarus


References


Further reading

* DUNIN-MARTSINKIEVICH, Vintsent (1984): ''Tvory''. Ed. by Ia. Ianushkevich. Minsk: Mastatskaia litaratura. *HENTSCHEL, Gerd (2013): Belorusskij, russkij i belorussko-russkaja smeshannaja rech‘."Voprosy jazykoznanija", No. 1, pp.  53–76. *HENTSCHEL, Gerd (2014): Belarusian and Russian in the Mixed Speech of Belarus. In: Besters-Dilger, J., et al. (eds.): ''Congruence in Contact-Induced Language Change''. Berlin/Boston: de Gruyter, pp. 93–121. *HENTSCHEL, Gerd, and KITTEL, BERNHARD (2011): Weißrussische Dreisprachigkeit? Zur sprachlichen Situation in Weißrussland auf der Basis von Urteilen von Weißrussen über die Verbreitung "ihrer Sprachen" im Lande. "Wiener Slawistischer Almanach", No. 67, pp.  107–135. *HENTSCHEL, Gerd, and ZELLER, JAN PATRICK (2012): Gemischte Rede, gemischter Diskurs, Sprechertypen: Weißrussisch, Russisch und gemischte Rede in der Kommunikation weißrussischer Familien. "Wiener Slawistischer Almanach", No. 70, pp.  127–155 * KALITA I. V. (2010) Современная Беларусь: языки и национальная идентичность. Ústí nad Labem, , 2010, 300 s. s. 112-190. * KITTEL, Bernhard et al. (2010): Mixed Language Usage in Belarus. The Sociostructural Background of Language Choice. "International Journal of the Sociology of Language", No. 206, pp.  47–71. *LISKOVETS, Irina V. (2002): Trasianka: proiskhozhdeniie, sushchnost', funkcionirovaniie. ''Antropologiia, fol'kloristika, lingvistika'', 2, pp. 329–343. *LISKOVETS, Irina V. (2003)
Project ''Novyie iazyki novykh gosudarstv: iavleniia na styke blizkorodstvennykh iazykov na postsovetskom prostranstve''
(The part on Belarus.) European University in Sankt-Peterburg. *MECHKOVSKAIA, Nina B. (1994): Iazykovaia situaciia v Belarusi: Eticheskiie kollizii dvuiazychiia. ''Russian Linguistics'', 18, pp. 299–322. *MECHKOVSKAIA, Nina B. (2002): Iazyk v roli ideologii: nacional'no-simvolicheskiie funkcii iazyka v belorusskoi iazykovoi situacii. In: Gutschmidt, K., et al. (eds.): ''Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Standardisierung slavischer Schriftsprachen in der Gegenwart''. Dresden: Thelem, pp. 123–141. *MECHKOVSKAIA, Nina B. (2006): Belorusskaia trasianka i ukrainskii surzhik: surrogaty etnicheskogo substandarta v ikh otnosheniiakh k massovoi kul'ture i literaturnym iazykam. In ''Problemy zistavnoi semantyky'', vyp. 7. Kiev: Kyivs'kyi nacional'nyi linhvistychnyi universytet. *MIACHKOUSKAIA, Nina B. (2007): Трасянка ў кантынууме беларуска-рускіх ідыялектаў: хто і калі размаўляе на трасянцы? rasianka in the continuum of Belarusian-Russian ideolects: who speaks trasianka and when ''Веснік БДУ'', серыя 4 (1). * POZNIAK, Zenon (1988): Dvuiazychiie i biurokratizm. ''Raduga'', No. 4, pp. 36–50. *SENDER, Natallia: Spracheinstellung zur weißrussisch - russischen Mischsprache Trasjanka in Belarus, Frankfurt/Oder, Univ., Masterarbeit. *TSYKHUN, Henadz A. (2000): Krealizavany pradukt (trasianka iak ab'iekt linhvistychnaha dasledavannia)
''ARCHE - Paczatak''
6. *WOOLHISER, Curt (2001): Language ideology and language conflict in post-Soviet Belarus. In O'Reilly, C. C. (ed.): ''Language, Ethnicity and the State'', vol. 2. Palgrave, pp. 91–122.


External links


Studies on Belarusian-Russian mixed speech published at the University of Oldenburg, Slavic Department

The Oldenburg corpus of Belarusian-Russian Mixed Speech

Two examples of Trasianka
{{Russification Belarusian language Russian language varieties and styles Russian dialects Code-switching Russification Russian language in Belarus