In all the languages ​​of the world, there are words that cannot be translated with accuracy. For example, the Russian word “melancholy” cannot be translated into English, as it expresses sadness, melancholy, nostalgia, boredom, and many more concepts that fit in one word.

When translated, they can be transliterated, replaced by imprecise synonyms or detailed descriptions. The presence of such words reflects the peculiarities of everyday life, mentality, linguistic picture of the world. There are also enough untranslatable words in the Udmurt language.

November 27 is the Day of the Udmurt language. In honor of the holiday, we made a selection of Udmurt words, which have no analogues in Russian. Get closer to understanding the Udmurt language and mentality with us!

Kot shurde

The word “shurdyny” means to be afraid of heights, depths. Feeling when the head is spinning, the heartbeat becomes more frequent and an internal tremor appears.

And kot shurde literally means “the stomach is afraid”. Udmurts with the sphere of the human sensual world have a stomach / womb. For example, if a person is upset and offended, he will say: “Kothozh louiz”, which literally means “The animal is upset.”

Kuzhmo Karisky

When people wish success in any business (usually in hard work, which is not easy to cope with), they say: “God help.” The Udmurt language has its own phrase for such cases, but it has a slightly different content. If you want to wish your friend successful work, say: “Kuzhmo Kariski!”, Which means “Be strong!”. Or they use this phrase when they want to support in a difficult situation.

Lychsuse

If you feel so good that it is difficult to convey in words, you are overwhelmed with a feeling of boundless happiness, you can say: “Bydes mugor ik lychsuse” – “The whole body is not overjoyed”… This means great joy, delight and delight.

Pe

“Pe” is a great word for gossipers. It means “they say, they say.” Add “ne” when you tell something, it will mean “it was not I invented or learned directly, it is others who say so.” At the same time, there is no need in this case to specify exactly who said. If you say “ne”, you get the feeling that everyone is already talking about it. “Vasya, ne, gorgeous vae” – “They say Vasya is getting married.”

Izemyaskyny, uzhamyaskyny

In every work collective there are, probably, such characters who in every possible way shirk from work and look at the clock all the time. About such Udmurts they will say: “Uzhamyaske”, which means “Pretends to work.” And if a small child in kindergarten pretends to be asleep during a quiet hour, they will say: “En izemyaski” – “Don’t pretend to be asleep.” For the formation of such words in the Udmurt language there is a special suffix “-k”.

En, ne, syulmasky!

If a person sneezes, they say to him: “Be healthy” – we are taught this from childhood. This rule exists in other cultures as well. An Englishman will wish “Bless you” (“God bless you”), a German – “Gesundheit!” (“Health!”). And in the Udmurt language in such cases they say: “En, ne, syulmasky!”, Which means “Don’t worry,” “Don’t worry.”

Ysh-shh-shh

Udmurts, when they are very cold, jokingly say: “Ysh-yh-ysh kynmisko – kite fur coat vurisko”, means “Brrrr, I’m cold – I’ll sew a fur coat next year.” It is not necessary to sew a fur coat, but when you want to show how cold you are, you can use the interjection “Ysh -ysh!”

Marym

In the Udmurt language there is a universal rescue word “marym”, which is often used in speech. It resembles the Russian words “type” and “something”, but at the same time the fabric of the language is actively interwoven and inclined in all possible forms. “Marym” can be used when filling in pauses in a conversation or when you cannot remember the right word. If you are invited to visit, you can say: “Well, marym, already a rope” – “Well, you can, this is the very thing, there are a lot of things to do.”

Öb-öb-öb

Another Udmurt interjection used for sudden, severe physical pain. If you accidentally spill it on hot tea, this interjection will come in handy. But still, we wish not to get into such situations.

Guinet

“Guinea” are parts of the limitation, meaning “only, only, only.” But beyond that, it can mean enough. But it does not mean the objective “how much is required, enough, a lot”, but rather the subjective “pretty good, not bad.”

“Konya gine boobs” – “I ate so well.”

You can touch the Udmurt culture not only by learning the language, but also by visiting various national events. Take advantage of our selection of activities that will pass on the Day of the Udmurt language.