THE THINGS WE DO...: "Taim-aut" needed, indeed (07/02/06)

THE THINGS WE DO...

by Orysia Paszczak Tracz

"Taim-aut" needed, indeed

Remember the stories of how some DPs (displaced persons after World War II) would laugh and mock the "half-na-piv" language of the earlier Ukrainian immigrants to Canada and the United States? "Do shtoru" (to the store), "pomaliuy fens" (paint the fence), "faina dreska" (nice dress), "pidy do selieru" (go to the cellar) and any other phrases where the English word was declined or conjugated with a Ukrainian ending. They laughed, until they started to talk that way themselves, without realizing it.

Well, those folks had nothing on what has become of whatever is left of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine today! After the first World Cup game in which Ukraine played, the Ukrayinska Pravda website reported on how acting Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov and other government officials watched the game in the "pab" (pub). Then there's "taim-aut," "pershyi taim," "penalti" and - are you ready? - the game ended with a "kheppi endom" (that's happy ending in the instrumental case).

And I love that "z takymy fanamy Ukraina ne propade" (Ukraine will not lose with fans like this) - except that "fany" (the nominative case of the word "fanamy") is the Halychyna dialect word for flags, not fans (in the sports fan sense). So I imagine the stadium is filled with flags/fany flying in the breeze. ...

On their websites, on-air and in print, Ukrainian media reflect just how much English has permeated the Ukrainian language. The same is happening around the world, with Franglais, Italinglish, Spanglish and other hybrids of local languages and English across the continents. Sure, languages change and evolve - but, hopefully, with some sense and purpose in there somewhere.

This could be more easily acceptable where a Ukrainian word does not exist for the concept - as has happened in the computer and information technology fields. Would you believe "klikabelne" and "link"? But why, in the name of Taras Shevchenko, do Ukrainians now have "lidery" and "mery"? (leaders and mayors). These attend "mitynhy" (meetings) and "samity" (summits) to solve "konflikty" (conflicts) and get "resultaty" (results). The list is endless - and both pathetic and funny, depending on how you look at it.

The "persha ledi" of Ukraine wears "feshonabelni dyzainy" by "dyzainery" of Kyiv and Lviv, and buys the best "brendy" (brands). Most people seek out "komfortabelni" furnishings for their homes. The advertising business is busy with "marketinh" and "promotsiyi."

It is not enough that Russian has permeated Ukraine to the point that "surzhyk" (the blended patois of Ukrainian and Russian) is spoken, often with the speakers not even realizing what they are speaking. On top of that, you have this artificial imposition of Anglicized Ukrainian - or is that Ukrainianized English - by people who think they are sophisticated, or just don't know any better.

If they were still around, our American and Canadian Ukrainian old-timers would be shaking their heads and having a laugh. And asking for a "taim-aut."

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