Mat (language)
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Mat (Russian: мат, or ма́терный язы́к) is Russian sexual slang, revolving particularly around the use of specific generally unprintable vulgar words. Although it is commonly believed that the name derives from mat′ (Russian мать, "mother", where the prime represents the soft sign, which signals palatalization of the preceding t) the term comes from a word meaning "loud yell", which is now only used in a few expression such as благим матом. It is at once almost universally understood and commonly employed, but also held in some cultural disregard, to the point of facing occasional social and legal proscriptions. Depending on context, as in languages besides Russian, speaking it may have the effect of conveying disrespect, congeniality or chic, cynicism, intensification, or self-assertion. The mat belongs to the ancient layers of the russian language (the first written mat words date to Middle Ages). It was first introduced into literature in the 18th century by the poet Ivan Barkov, whose poetry, combining lofty lyrics with brutally obscene words, may be regarded as a forerunner of russian literary parody. Non-native speakers of Russian are generally advised to be conservative about employing the terms or to shun them if they tend not to use their English equivalents.
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Key words
The key elements of mat are:
- khuy (Russian хуй) — penis, or for equivalent colloquial effect, cock
- the word of disputed origin, popularly held to derive from Mongolian, but most likely from common Balto-Slavic pool;
- pizda (Russian пизда) — cunt and/or clit
- from PIE *pizda ("vulva"), cf Lithuanian "pizda" and Albanian "peth";
- yebat′ (Russian ебать) — to fuck
- from PIE *eibati ("to fuck"), cf Old High German "eiba" and Sanskrit "yabhati";
- blyad′ (Russian блядь) — whore
- from PIE root cognate with English "blind"; the word was not banned from literary use at the time of Avvakum, who used it to describe various heresies, and various expressions based on these terms. Also, the 15th century merchant-traveller Afanasii Nikitin used it simply as "concubine", without any obscene connotations.
These words can be used in quite some contexts and generate a rather large range of new words based on them through the use of prefixes and suffixes. The first volume of the "Large Mat Dictionary" (большой словарь мата) treats only expressions with the word khuy, counting over 500 entries.
A detailed article by Victor Erofeyev (translated by Andrew Bromfeld) analyzing the history, overtones, and sociology of mat appeared in the 15 September 2003 issue of The New Yorker.
Further vocabulary
Additionally, the following words are considered almost as offensive, and can also be regarded as mat:
- govno (Russian говно́) — shit. Cognate to Sanskrit guváti ("(he) defecates") and Avestan gūʮa- ("shit"), from PIE
- zhopa (жопа) - ass
- mudo (мудо́) — "testicle". By far more often-used derivative, mudak (муда́к) and mudilo (муди́ло) only bears an abstract offensive meaning and is effectively equal to "motherfucker";
- gandon (gondon) (гандо́н, гондо́н), a bastardization of "condom", but it is a tabooed word and may be used figuratively;
- pidoras (пидора́с), a bastardization of pederast, meaning a male homosexual in Russian. The condensed form pidor (пи́дор) is also used.
- zalupa (залупа) means "penis head"
- malaf'ya (малафья) means "sperm"
- kher (хер) "penis"; somewhat less offensive than "khuy"; the actual meanings of kher is the old Russian name of the letter Kha.
- khren (хрен) is an euphemism for "penis", literally "Horse-radish"
Some derivatives
- khernya (херня́) or khuynya (хуйня́) - "rubbish, nonsense"; нести хуйню (или херню) - to speak rubbish. Khuynya is "stronger" and more offensive than khernya, which is the also true for other derivatives of khuy and kher.
- khuyovyi (хуёвый) or kherovyi (херо́вый) - bad, shitty.
- Khuyovina(хуёвина),pizdyulina(пиздю́лина),poyeben' (поебе́нь) - some thing, name of which you don't know, or think that it's name doesn't deserve mentioning.
- pizdatyi (пизда́тый) - very good or huge.
- okhuennyi (охуе́нный) or ohiutelnyi (охуи́тельный) - a general-purpose superlative adjective.
- okhuet ' (охуе́ть) - to be out of one's mind (go crazy), with the derived meaning to get surprised or to be cheeky. Example: Я слушал его и тихо охуевал - я слушал его и не верил своим ушам.
- pizdets (пиздец) is usually used to describe a particularly sad state of affairs, when there is no way to improve things.
- pizdit' (пи́здить) - "to beat up" or "to steal"
- pizdet' (пизде́ть)- "to tell a lie" or "to chat"; note that conjugated forms are very similar to pizdit' but with a different articulation (пизди́ть))
- yebalo (ебало) - "face", rarely "mouth"
- yobnut' (ёбнуть) - "to hit", with derivative meanings "to take a drink (e.g., of vodka)", "to steal"
Common phrases
- yob tvoyu mat' (ēб твою мать) literally "fuck your mother" meaning "oh no"
- ni khuya sebe (ни хуя себе) literally "no dick for me" meaning "what a surprise"
- khuy tebe v rot! (хуй тебе в рот!) literally "a dick to your mouth" means "you'll get nothing (from me)"
- zatkni yebalo! (заткни ебало!) means "shut up!"
- khuy(kher) s nim(ney,nimi)! (хуй(хер) с ним(ней,ними)!) literally "prick with him(her, them)!" means "don't be so concerned about him(her,it,them)!"
- poshol(poshla, idite) na khuy! (пошёл(пошла, идите) на хуй!) literally "go on a dick" meaning "go away"
- ni khuya sebe!(ни хуя себе!) exclamation of surprise.
Famous usage
Kirkorov's press conference
- Russian pop-star Philipp Kirkorov had the following exchange with Ms Aroyan, a corresponden, at his press conference that was held in Rostov on Don on May 20, 2004:
- KIRKOROV: I am disturbed by your pink blouse, your tits and your microphone... I feel "po khuyu" (i.e., I do not care) what you will write about me. I do not like nonprofessionals. That's not the place for nonprofessionals.
- AROYAN: You should learn to behave yourself — "zvezda" ("star" in Russian).
- KIRKOROV: Yes... Pizda! (rhymes with "zvezda").
- Russian text of this exchange:
- — (1) Ф. Киркоров: Меня раздражают Ваша розовая кофточка, Ваши сиськи и Ваш микрофон.
- — (2) Ф. Киркоров: А? Да мне… да мне по-хую, как Вы напишете… Так же, как и Вы… Я не люблю непрофессионалов! Непрофессионалам тут делать нечего!
- — (3) И. Ароян (презрительно): А вы научитесь себя вести. "Звезда".
- Ф. Киркоров (рифмуя): Да… Пизда!
Classical poetry with mat
- So, I am not going to pay
- However, If you are a simple blyad'
- You should consider an honor
- To be acquainted to the cadet's khuy !
- Russian:
- Итак, тебе не заплачу я:
- Но если ты простая блядь,
- То знай: за честь должна считать
- Знакомство юнкерского хуя!