As Russia escape laughs and

"the large dictionary of the Mat language" does not know a taboo

One may make oneself calm on one of the most indecent and merriest lexicographical works, which it ever gave. The first volume of the "large dictionary of the Mat language", last year in St.   Petersburg appeared, is concerned with only one word, the "strongest Russian word", like it is often called - the Huj. It designates the male sex organ, exhibits however further 19 main and 18 Nebenbedeutungen. The second volume of the dictionary, in preparation, dedicates itself to another Mat word, that one for the female sex organ (pisda).

Mat - those are the worst, the unflaetigsten Obszoenitaeten, which gives it in the Russian language. Except the above-mentioned parts of the body they cover testicle (two words), Hure and the Koitus (two words). Filters etyma are there altogether, with hundreds of derivatives and Nebenschoepfungen, thousands of idioms and Idiomen. The new dictionary, which is to come out in ten volumes, wants to hold this vocabulary in its whole wealth. For the first time, because since that 17. Century up to the Perestroika one looked for Mat words in vain not only in Russian dictionaries, but also in all official publications, why they are scientifically neither correctly seized nor regenerated. And that, although the Mat is called often jokeful, like it, beside ballet, literature and caviar to the most important treasures of the Russian nation belongs. The relationship of the Russians to the Mat is extremely polarized. So gladly and passionately it, abhor so violently and brandmarken it use the one the others. The latters are certainly in the minority. Although the Mat use is completely inadmissible according to the official social standard, use it, with different frequency, about 60 per cent of all Russians - old persons and boy, men and women, workers and farmers just like education and intellectual ones.

The Mat would be hardly so popular, did not represent it not a so multi-functional, universal language. On the one hand Mat words can extremely crudely, more vulgaer and insulting its - so, if one uses them individually or in notorious "dreistoeckigen" constructions for grumbling and swearing. Most lexischen units however, this shows also the available dictionary, are no insult expressions, but means about: "madly", "for what", "all the same", "someone", "hoppla", "strike", "are astonished", "are moved" and so on. They are just as designed as the German words "geil", "verarschen" or the Helvetismus "huere beautiful" and function also in such a way. As means of the Expressivitaet they increase the expression strength primarily and emotionalisieren the speech. Their Unanstaendigkeitsgrad and its provocation content are higher only in the Russian one around some. A Mat word can, depending upon situation, as hit a bomb.

The Mat possesses a further characteristic. It does not only cover numerous words; these are also ambiguous and possess an extraordinary synonymisches Potenzial. One can replace with it in the reason all words except pronomen like "you" and "me" and designate therefore practically arbitrary. It gives, like it in a joke means, "not one light and pure thoughts, which Russian humans with the dirty Mat could not express".

"dirtily" the Mat works meanwhile only rarely correctly, but usually like a "sharp spice", particularly since the Mat serves humor and its figurativeness to a large extent. Countless idioms aim on the laughter, express joke or irony. Thus the expression means "the Huj like a pistol (or axe) holds" for full energy and good tendency its. "the Huj under the shoulder wedge" is called hastily and unexpectedly break open. Who reduces "with Huj pears", is lazy and nothing does; and who sharpens "the Huj (on someone)", forges plans, to step with someone into intimate connection and gives oneself trouble to realize this. As in the last example many idioms with sexual contents have to do. These, exactly the same as Mat words in their first, direct meaning, are an indispensable component of the Russian laugh erotischen culture, which forms a Gegenpol and in the certain sense a reconciliation to the "hyper+moral", for puritanischen advanced culture. Numerous frivole literature ranks among it, predominantly poetry, which parodiert and verulkt high category. In addition, a part of the folklore - "obszoene" fairy tales, proverbs, songs, popular Tschastuschki (Vierzeiler gereimte), jokes. For many centuries this powerful literary layer remained unofficially, existed only in the verbal form or only abroad was printed or copied by hand.

Straight one with the tension officially - unofficially, highly - low, with the traditional splittingness the Russian culture in two parallel worlds, is connected the largest characteristic of the Mats. Also the extremely complicated rules of its use are certain of it. So a word can signal the private, unofficial level, the affiliation to a group or even the confidence, the sympathy to a person. At the same time the Mat marks as strong provocation means protest behavior. That was also a reason, why in the Soviet Union since the sixties of the Mat in the Dissidentenliteratur, in which underground art became very popular and at all with the Intelligenzia. Above all the Muscovites of alternative circles cultivated it. Mat to use, was not considered as good, narrow-minded and regime conformal. The intellectual elite played always gladly with the taboo injury. Puschkin and Tolstoi, Turgenjew and Nabokov - nearly all classical authors reached as well known into their private life to the Mat, some written thereby even texts. Also in many diaries and letters are very impressive and often very merry examples of the Mat use.

With the Perestroika the Mat was publicly noticed for the first time in Russia: Numerous publications and collections of Mat works appeared for the nineties, in addition a dozen of smaller, usually unprofessionellen dictionaries. Meanwhile also the serious scientific research begins to concern itself with the phenomenon, and to the Mat even the way into the "official" literature and into the media found. The one celebrate this as release from the double moral and as victory of the mental liberty. The others demand banishing the Mats back in the private - among them by the way also Mat trailer, which fears that the popularization of the Mats could mean its end. Joseph Brodsky wrote that the Russians would have never so loved the Mat, if he had to be heard like the English "fuck" at each corner. Still the Mat did not reach its pervasiveness, nor he lost only few from his explosive strength, but specialists mine, the Devitalisierungsprozess no more is not to be stopped. For it the democracy and the end of the censorship are responsible. Without the Knebelung for many decades of the word and the thoughts the Mat could have never developed its power.

Marina Rumjanzewa

A.   Pluzer Sarno: Bolschoj slowar ' mata. Tom perwyi. Limbus press. St.   Petersburg 2001 (only 2002 appeared). 390   S.