If a person from the 1920s heard the way we speak today, they would be surprised. Many words did not exist then. And yet, for a modern person, they are familiar. For example, the words «smartphone», «online», «blogger», «deadline», «freelance», «selfies».
And some words almost no one uses nowadays. For example, «province», «bourgeoisie», «sovnarkom».
Language lives and changes with people's lives. And it is the words that are the most visible part of these changes.
Change is not only about the appearance of new words. But also how old words start to mean something else. For example, «party» used to mean just a meeting of friends. Today, it can be a whole event or even a lifestyle. Such changes happen imperceptibly. But constantly.
Where new words come from
The origin of the lexicon of the Russian language has always been diverse. Over the last century, the main sources of new words are technology, politics, culture and the Internet.
When computers and the internet came along, words like:
- «{ »file".»
- «{ »site".»
- «chat».»
- «like.»
- «{ »meme".»
Most of them came from English, but quickly became familiar. After the collapse of the USSR, words like:
- «collective farm».»
- «five years»
- «labor striker.».
But «business», «market», «privatization» appeared.
The language itself also creates new words. For example, from «work» came «freelance», from «inflation» came «inflationary», from «document» came «doc». This shows how flexible and lively our language is.
Today, borrowings are perceived calmly. However, recently there has been a trend towards Russification of the language and replacement of borrowed words with Russian analogues.
Vocabulary changes
Not only are words being added - many are going away. Most often this happens because the objects or phenomena themselves disappear. Who uses a «gramophone» or a «kerosene» today? Who goes to «pioneer camp?» These words remain in books, movies, memories.
Some words disappeared because of the change of power and ideology. After the revolution of 1917, words disappeared:
- «Barin.»
- «nobleman»
- «czar.»
After 1991, the words disappeared:
- «Komsomolets»
- «party ticket»
- «target»
Although all these words have disappeared from our daily lives, they continue to exist in the context of the study of history.
Without knowing such words, it is difficult to understand old books and movies. That's why learning Russian for children it's important not only to learn modern words. But it is also important to tell how things were spoken in the past. This helps to understand culture and history better.
How change affects people
For those who are starting out learning Russian from scratch for foreigners, It is important to realize that Russian is not a set of rules, but a living language that is constantly changing. Textbooks can lag behind real speech, so it's helpful to listen to podcasts, watch movies, and read the news to hear how people are speaking now.
But at the same time, the basis of language remains unchanged. Words like «home», «water», «go», «love» have not changed for centuries. They're the basis of all speech. And new words are like clothes: they change, but the person remains the same.
Russian language study becomes especially interesting when you start to notice how words reflect the era. For example, a lot of Anglicisms means the country is open to the world. The return of old words like «merchant» or «craft» indicates a growing interest in tradition.
The lexicon of the Russian language is not just a list of words, but the history of the country reflected in speech. By understanding how it has changed, you begin not just to speak Russian, but to feel the language truly.
