"NEVESTA BEZ MESTA, ZHENIKH BEZ UMA": ON SEVERAL MEANINGS OF ONE PROVERB

The article considers the meaning of the well-known proverb Nevesta bez mesta, zhenikh bez uma and in particular of the polysemantic word mesto used in it. Taking into account the matrimonial nature of the proverb, the author examines it in the context of the wedding rite and comes to the conclusion...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Олеся Дмитриевна Сурикова (Olesya D. Surikova)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Perm State University 2017-12-01
Series:Vestnik Permskogo universiteta: Rossijskaâ i zarubežnaâ filologiâ
Subjects:
Online Access:http://press.psu.ru/index.php/philology/article/view/1053
_version_ 1819210908341108736
author Олеся Дмитриевна Сурикова (Olesya D. Surikova)
author_facet Олеся Дмитриевна Сурикова (Olesya D. Surikova)
author_sort Олеся Дмитриевна Сурикова (Olesya D. Surikova)
collection DOAJ
description The article considers the meaning of the well-known proverb Nevesta bez mesta, zhenikh bez uma and in particular of the polysemantic word mesto used in it. Taking into account the matrimonial nature of the proverb, the author examines it in the context of the wedding rite and comes to the conclusion that the proverb is based on the non-distinction of several meanings of the lexeme mesto, which are as follows: ‘seat place of honor at the wedding’, ‘marriage portion’, ‘nuptial bed’, and ‘vagina’. Depending on the actualized meaning of the word, the bride’s unsuitability for the wedding can be explained both in the most innocent and scabrous sense: bride deprived of her proper place at the wedding table; bride without marriage portion; bride incapable of sexual life or dishonest. To confirm the hypothesis, the author analyzes the Russian dialect, colloquial and slang vocabulary, some lexical facts in other Slavic languages as well as folklore texts (proverbs, riddles, ditties, songs, love charms, tales) in which the word mesto is an euphemism and calls the female genital organs. The meanings of a number of “dark” words (maloye mesto) and proverbs (Dobivay shilo v cheren! Osazhivay obruchi do mesta!) are reconstructed.
first_indexed 2024-12-23T06:18:39Z
format Article
id doaj.art-e6df740b3a8b4c8ca122285f5ac23521
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2073-6681
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-23T06:18:39Z
publishDate 2017-12-01
publisher Perm State University
record_format Article
series Vestnik Permskogo universiteta: Rossijskaâ i zarubežnaâ filologiâ
spelling doaj.art-e6df740b3a8b4c8ca122285f5ac235212022-12-21T17:57:15ZengPerm State UniversityVestnik Permskogo universiteta: Rossijskaâ i zarubežnaâ filologiâ2073-66812017-12-010410.17072/2037-6681-2016-4-40-48937"NEVESTA BEZ MESTA, ZHENIKH BEZ UMA": ON SEVERAL MEANINGS OF ONE PROVERBОлеся Дмитриевна Сурикова (Olesya D. Surikova)0Уральский федеральный университет им. первого Президента России Б. Н. Ельцина Российский государственный профессионально-педагогический университетThe article considers the meaning of the well-known proverb Nevesta bez mesta, zhenikh bez uma and in particular of the polysemantic word mesto used in it. Taking into account the matrimonial nature of the proverb, the author examines it in the context of the wedding rite and comes to the conclusion that the proverb is based on the non-distinction of several meanings of the lexeme mesto, which are as follows: ‘seat place of honor at the wedding’, ‘marriage portion’, ‘nuptial bed’, and ‘vagina’. Depending on the actualized meaning of the word, the bride’s unsuitability for the wedding can be explained both in the most innocent and scabrous sense: bride deprived of her proper place at the wedding table; bride without marriage portion; bride incapable of sexual life or dishonest. To confirm the hypothesis, the author analyzes the Russian dialect, colloquial and slang vocabulary, some lexical facts in other Slavic languages as well as folklore texts (proverbs, riddles, ditties, songs, love charms, tales) in which the word mesto is an euphemism and calls the female genital organs. The meanings of a number of “dark” words (maloye mesto) and proverbs (Dobivay shilo v cheren! Osazhivay obruchi do mesta!) are reconstructed.http://press.psu.ru/index.php/philology/article/view/1053русская диалектная лексикологияфольклорэтнолингвистикасемантико-мотивационная реконструкциятеория многозначностисвадебный обряд.
spellingShingle Олеся Дмитриевна Сурикова (Olesya D. Surikova)
"NEVESTA BEZ MESTA, ZHENIKH BEZ UMA": ON SEVERAL MEANINGS OF ONE PROVERB
Vestnik Permskogo universiteta: Rossijskaâ i zarubežnaâ filologiâ
русская диалектная лексикология
фольклор
этнолингвистика
семантико-мотивационная реконструкция
теория многозначности
свадебный обряд.
title "NEVESTA BEZ MESTA, ZHENIKH BEZ UMA": ON SEVERAL MEANINGS OF ONE PROVERB
title_full "NEVESTA BEZ MESTA, ZHENIKH BEZ UMA": ON SEVERAL MEANINGS OF ONE PROVERB
title_fullStr "NEVESTA BEZ MESTA, ZHENIKH BEZ UMA": ON SEVERAL MEANINGS OF ONE PROVERB
title_full_unstemmed "NEVESTA BEZ MESTA, ZHENIKH BEZ UMA": ON SEVERAL MEANINGS OF ONE PROVERB
title_short "NEVESTA BEZ MESTA, ZHENIKH BEZ UMA": ON SEVERAL MEANINGS OF ONE PROVERB
title_sort nevesta bez mesta zhenikh bez uma on several meanings of one proverb
topic русская диалектная лексикология
фольклор
этнолингвистика
семантико-мотивационная реконструкция
теория многозначности
свадебный обряд.
url http://press.psu.ru/index.php/philology/article/view/1053
work_keys_str_mv AT olesâdmitrievnasurikovaolesyadsurikova nevestabezmestazhenikhbezumaonseveralmeaningsofoneproverb