(no subject)

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know what "центон" is?

thanks,
t.

words with funny common etymologies

[madrumos.livejournal.com]

What I'm thinking of are words that seem unintuitive when you look at the Russian root and prefix, but that actually are exactly the same in English (usu. for words with Latin or Greek origin, of course). They occur to me every once in a while as epiphanies, like it should have been obvious, but I had just never thought of it that way. I also unfortunately often forget them, so add some if you know of any good ones. There must be a lot!

подписаться - to subscribe (под-under/sub писать-write/script/scribe)

обстоятельство - circumstance (об-around/circle/circum стоять-stand/stance)

впечатление - impression (в-in/im печать-stamp/type/press)

Okay, so I can't think of any more at the moment, but I'll add them as I remember.

(no subject)

[gera.livejournal.com]

I believe this discussion might be useful for many learners.

verbs verbs verbs

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

is there a way to remember (or a rule) about when verbs end with -овать?
It seems as if words that appear to be taken from english have this ending more often than not:
игнорировать (to ignore)
импотириовать (to inform)
рисковать (to risk)
резервировать (to reserve)
Is this the case?
correction:
информировать = to inform
импортировать = to import

(no subject)

[psa-98.livejournal.com]

Some unusual Russian words:

Three "o" in a row, all of them pronounced:
"Зоообъединение" - "Zoological association."

Three "e" in a row, all of them pronounced:
"Длинношеее" - "long necked (animal, n.g.)"

Here is a cluster of seven consonants in a row, all of them pronounced:
"Подвзбзднуть" - joking word, mean "to fart very slightly (in unison with smb)". Can you say that one fast? :-)