Apparently the verb drejfovat' has been recorded in Russian dictionaries since 1803, which presumably makes the word almost as old as U.S.– Russian relations themselves. Perhaps the State Department should consider updating their reference works.
John Dunn.
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Jameson <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 10:30:03 +0100
Subject: FW: "Dreyfovat'": Senior Administration Officials on Obama's Meeting with Medvedev (White House)
-----Original Message-----
From: ESRCs East West Programme [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Serguei A. Oushakine
Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 2:58 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: "Dreyfovat'": Senior Administration Officials on Obama's Meeting
with Medvedev (White House)
...both Presidents today in their remarks ... really emphasized how badly
the U.S. relationship had "drifted." That was the phrase that both President
Obama used and President Medvedev used. And in fact -- I don't know if
there's any Russian speakers here. I think even -- there's a new verb,
"drift." "Drifting," the way he used it, was a strange verb to me. I speak
Russian pretty well, and he wanted to emphasize that word "drift," echoing
President Obama. Not unlike other exchanges that they've had, they're trying
to find common language. And parenthetically --
Q What's the word itself? Sorry.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Dreyfovat. Do you speak Russian?
Q Yes.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Is that a word in Russian? Dreyfovat?
Q Yes, I --
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Kind of? (Laughter.) Q Like, you know, when
a huge iceberg is moving -- SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Okay. Drifting,
okay. It's the first time I've ever heard it as a verb. You know, it sounds
like -- never mind, let's not talk Russian translation. (Laughter.)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Background-Readout-By-Senior-Admi
nistration-Officials-On-President-Obamas-Meeting-With-Russian-President-Medv
edev/
John Dunn
Honorary Research Fellow, SMLC (Slavonic Studies)
University of Glasgow, Scotland
Address:
Via Carolina Coronedi Berti 6
40137 Bologna
Italy
Tel.: +39 051/1889 8661
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