93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Book excerpt: There is no better terrain in which to examine the differences between two cultures than language. Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This new book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. A key to understanding another language, another culture, is figuring out what cannot be "known," but only "felt." In this compact and useful volume, difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context. Added bonus: Includes an extensive chart of Old Russian Measurements you may meet in literature -- from the common arshin, to the less known charka -- with modern conversions. An invaluable reference tool. - Publisher.