Introduction:
The diverse Russian population, with all its different ethnic groups, speaks different languages. Russian is the most widespread language, but there are more than 120 other languages spoken all over Russia. These languages belong to different language families and include Tatar, Chuvash, Bashkir, Chechen, Ukrainian, Ava, Azerbaijani, Mordovian, Belarusian, Georgian, Komi-Zyrian, Turkish and Kalmyk, among others. A large number of these languages are endangered, and many have already gone instinct. The majority of the non-ethnic Russian population speaks Russian in addition to their native tongues.
Russian:
Russia differs from English in many aspects. These differences will prove very important for the emergence of a Russian English variety.
The following is a brief presentation of the main differences between the phonological and the grammatical systems of the two languages as well as their writing systems:
The following is a brief presentation of the main differences between the phonological and the grammatical systems of the two languages as well as their writing systems:
Phonology:
1. The main difference in the phonological system of the two languages is in their vowel systems.
1. The main difference in the phonological system of the two languages is in their vowel systems.
- Russian has a set of five vowels, namely /a/, /o/, /u/, /e/ and /i/ (in addition to another centralized /ɨ/). English, on the other hand, has a system of 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs, in addition to 5 other triphthongs.
- In Russian, there is no distinction between long and short vowel, unlike in English where the distinction is phonemic.
- Russian does not have the sound /w/, often produced as /v/ or /u/.
- Russian does not have the voiced velar, nasal /ŋ/.
- Russian does not have neither the sound /θ/ nor /ð/. These sounds are often realized as [s] or [t], and [d] or [z], respectively.
- In Russian voiced consonants are devoiced in word-final positions, a rule that is not found in English (cf. Runglish section).
Grammar:
- Auxiliaries: Unlike English, Russian does not have auxiliary verbs such as the English "do". This affects both negation and question formation.
- Russian does not have modal verbs.
- Russian does not have copula verbs.
- Russian does not have continuous or perfect tenses.
- Russian does not have articles.
- Nouns in Russian belong to one of three grammatical genders.
Writing system:
Russian has the Cyrillic script, which is widely used in Eastern Europe and North and Central Asia, as its writing system. It consists of 33 letters, each standing for a distinct phoneme. The Script is phonetic, and, unlike in English, pronunciation can be predicted from spelling. |
The status of Russian:
History:
On the basis of the official languages, a distinction can be made between three main eras:
On the basis of the official languages, a distinction can be made between three main eras:
- Before 1917:
- 1922-1991:
- 1991-Now:
- Article 68
2. The Republics shall have the right to establish their own state languages. In the bodies of state authority and local self-government, state institutions of the Republics they shall be used together with the state language of the Russian Federation.
3. The Russian Federation shall guarantee to all of its peoples the right to preserve their native language and to create conditions for its study and development."
(The Constitution of the Russian Federation, 1993)
Russian worldwide:
On an international level, Russian is distinctive. Russia is the 5th most spoken language in the world, the 8th spoken native language in the world, and the most geographically widespread in Eurasia. Saunders (2014) identifies seven spheres in which Russian is used on an international level:
On an international level, Russian is distinctive. Russia is the 5th most spoken language in the world, the 8th spoken native language in the world, and the most geographically widespread in Eurasia. Saunders (2014) identifies seven spheres in which Russian is used on an international level:
- The national language of the Russian Federation
- A language of ethnic Russians living outside of Russia
- The native or second/third language of some non-ethnic Russians living outside of Russia
- A lingua franca across post-Soviet space and the former Second World
- A language of commerce and communication in countries where large numbers of Russophones reside and/or visit
- A language of cyberspace (Runet)
- A recognized language of diplomacy.