A word you use?

[olydiagron.livejournal.com]

Hi! I am studying for a translator test, and in the dictionary I have, i often see that a word of latin origin (that we do not use in common language in swedish) is translated into the very same word of latin origin in Russian. That leaves me with the question: Do the Russians really use this word? For example the word абсцесс. Do most russian know that word, or would you actually say нарыв? If i am translating for a russian patient in a swedish hospital, what word should I use?
(And also, if anyone feels like it, correct the language in my childrens story? It is the last post in may zhzh.)

Comments

[alon_68]

There are a lot of words of Latin origin in Russian, some of them are used in everyday speech while other are restricted to formal/scientific speech/texts or sound archaic... Actually, there is no common rule, you should check about each word. The word абсцесс is definitely known to anyone connected to the medicine and may have slightly different meaning than the common word нарыв.

[alek-morse.livejournal.com]

I agree )

[flameaside.livejournal.com]

I would expect a doctor to say абсцесс, rather than нарыв.

[kalina-n.livejournal.com]

I agree.

[heilkitty-ru.livejournal.com]

абсцесс is strictly medical term. I think, it only makes sence to use it once when specifying the type of abscess, e.g. "абсцесс железы Скина".

[merry1978.livejournal.com]

First, "абсцесс" and "нарыв" are not exactly the same thing. "Абсцесс" is a process, the common synonym would be "гнойное воспаление". "Нарыв" is an inflamed and swelled part of body, wound or splinter. You can also say "гнойник".
Second, the word "абсцесс" is either medical or really bookish. Most educated adults know it, of course, but usually would not use it. A doctor would say "абсцесс", the patient in the hospital can say it too (as he/she undoubtedly hears it often from doctors or nurses there), but a mother would never use it speaking to her child who, for example, has an inflamed splinter. It is not a good word for a children's book.

[elwen-tindomiel.livejournal.com]

Sure, most of Russians know the word абсцесс but not all of them know what it means, so you should better use нарыв in this case.
And the same is true for many other cases.
абсцесс is a formal word, used in writing down diagnosis and so on. We don't usually use it in every-day speech.

[pigmeich.livejournal.com]

That's a very old story... Word A is borrowed from Latin in English, word Ab is borrowed from the same Latin word in Russian. Do they translate into each other? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes maybe. Only way to go are dictionaries, both explanatory and interlanguage. Yes, context is important.

[khathi.livejournal.com]

A simple answer is -- it depends. There are a lot of words of Greek or Latin origin in Russian, but they are for most part clearly divided into some widely used everyday words like "огурец" (from the Greek "auguros", as the vegetable itself was brought from Greece), for example, and words that are essentially special terminology. "Абсцесс" is of the second type, used strictly as a medical term, native (and much more common) word for it in Russian being "нарыв".

[crimeanelf.livejournal.com]

Yes, most of Russians know the word абсцесс.

But generally with the words of Latin origin, I want to warn you: sometimes they mean different thing than in other languages.

Example: square in English is площадь. However, Russian word сквер means park.

Акселерация means acceleration of growth of kids in this narrow sense and ускорение stands for all other means of acceleration.

(My, in Russian classes there are many of those words, but I can't think of more examples right now.)

I guess it happens in most of languages that inherit Latin words. Iconic examples in Spanish you might know are parientes (relatives, not parents) and librería (bookstore, not library).

How about Swedish? Can you think of any Latin words that mean not the same they mean in another language?

[---tais.livejournal.com]

I am a doctor, and i use "абсцесс", same russians use "абсцесс" too.

[umitorio.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I've never even heard anyone say the word "абсцесс" before. And actually it's the first time I even see this word. I am not anyhow connected to medicine, though.

[olydiagron.livejournal.com]

Thank you everyone!
amanda

[windy-corner.livejournal.com]

There's also a number of words that are part-by-part translations from Greek or Latin. Like Church Часослов is Greek Horologia, or Russian насекомое - from 'in-sect' or inspiration becomes в-дох-новение. It's interesting how the words совесть and сознание came into Russian - one via Byzantine from Greek syneidesis and other via Latin from conscientia. A modern Russian would place the first in the chest and the latter in the head. )))

Sorry, it's irrelevant but I was tempted! )))

[olydiagron.livejournal.com]

No, don't say you are sorry! Thank you, I find that intressting! "Con-sientia" means "with-feeling/heart"?

[windy-corner.livejournal.com]

Latin verb SCIO means 'I know', like Greek OIDA, so con-scientia means sth like 'knowing along' or 'having an additional layer of knowledge'. Greek OIDA has the same root with IDEA and VID-, i.e., 'I see and thus I know'. English 'conscience' and 'conscientious' are the closest relatives. I'm sure there's somethinf similar in Swedish.