Some 30 years ago it was rather the opposite - in some families, a "good kid" would not be allowed say "я пошел есть" in front of older relatives, only "я пошел кушать" :)))
I think that if you conjugate есть, it means "to eat," and if you use it in constructions like "у меня есть . . ." only the infinitive is used to mean something like "there exists."
I have never heard about a rule either. However "я кушаю" indeed sounds really stupid and pretentious.
In general, the usage of word кушать is considered bad taste, with possible two exceptions: one, when you speak about children, and two, when you are entertaining guests and tell them: "Кушайте, гости дорогие."
I don't know what you guys talking about кушать is improper and кушаю sounds childish. Every single Russian-speaking person I've ever met (with the exception of one of my online friends... they are all native speakers!) says ем and кушаю interchangably (spelling?).
I RESENT that comment about "кушаю" sounding stupid! Maybe you sound just as "stupid" for making a generalization such as this...
you know, when i studied at Novosibirsk, i've never heard about it too. But when we moved to Moscow, i found out that everybody knows this rule, i checked its presence in dictionaries - and that rule _is_ there. Mb, it is a kind of geographic linguistic differences ( like поребрик / бордюр , you know) ?
Please note the year when that was written. The language is a living thing. If even Chukovski in 1966 was writing "In my times...." - this meant that the things that were accepted as normal "in his times" (early 20th century,) were outdated by 1966. If you'd compare it with other stuff he was writing there (ребята, дядька, вроде, переживать,) you'd see that most of these words were widely accepted as "normal" shortly after Chukovski wrote that. Some of the words he'd hailed as "now widely accepted, though rejected by purists not long ago" - like волнительный, выборА - disappeared from the use shortly after he wrote that. So we cannot rely on his words as on a NORM, though his words undoubtedly mark a certain linguistic reality, though a non-existent one.
I quoted that piece not to show some RULE, but to emphasize the difference of meaning in 20th, 70th and nowdays (and in different social groups as well).
I just love those questionable words - everyone has his own opinion on when, how and by whom it is proper to use.
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Date: 2005-04-16 09:45 pm (UTC)A. Inf: есть
B. Inf: кушать
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Date: 2005-04-16 11:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-17 12:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-17 08:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-17 01:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-17 04:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-17 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-17 08:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-17 01:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-18 03:14 pm (UTC)In general, the usage of word кушать is considered bad taste, with possible two exceptions: one, when you speak about children, and two, when you are entertaining guests and tell them: "Кушайте, гости дорогие."
no subject
Date: 2005-04-19 01:13 am (UTC)I RESENT that comment about "кушаю" sounding stupid! Maybe you sound just as "stupid" for making a generalization such as this...
no subject
Date: 2005-04-19 02:37 pm (UTC)Mb, it is a kind of geographic linguistic differences ( like поребрик / бордюр , you know) ?
quote by Korney Chukovsky
Date: 2005-04-18 11:15 pm (UTC)Taken from Живой как жизнь. Рассказы о русском языке. (http://www.ibmh.msk.su/vivovoco/VV/BOOKS/LANG/LANG_1.HTM)
Re: quote by Korney Chukovsky
Date: 2005-04-19 05:51 am (UTC)The language is a living thing. If even Chukovski in 1966 was writing "In my times...." - this meant that the things that were accepted as normal "in his times" (early 20th century,) were outdated by 1966. If you'd compare it with other stuff he was writing there (ребята, дядька, вроде, переживать,) you'd see that most of these words were widely accepted as "normal" shortly after Chukovski wrote that. Some of the words he'd hailed as "now widely accepted, though rejected by purists not long ago" - like волнительный, выборА - disappeared from the use shortly after he wrote that. So we cannot rely on his words as on a NORM, though his words undoubtedly mark a certain linguistic reality, though a non-existent one.
Re: quote by Korney Chukovsky
Date: 2005-04-19 10:21 am (UTC)I quoted that piece not to show some RULE, but to emphasize the difference of meaning in 20th, 70th and nowdays (and in different social groups as well).
I just love those questionable words - everyone has his own opinion on when, how and by whom it is proper to use.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-17 04:27 pm (UTC)Doesn't it sound familiar?
(animated film about Барон Мюнхгаузен.)
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Date: 2005-04-18 04:53 am (UTC)