Dear All,

 

The discussions of “Moscovy glass…..a pertussal “backdraucht” in a crowd of schoolchildren,” and “that odd muse of mine,/ My versipel,…” have been fascinating. May I suggest there’s more than a hint that Shade may be thinking, consciously or otherwise, with VN at his shoulder, in Russo-zemblanglish in these instances:

 

 “Glas” in medieval, church Russian is voice (still a productive stem, i.e., “glasnost’”=public voice, or publicity); so, heartland, true, Moscovy, puddle-tinkling, whooping, coughing, gasping, excited voices, or glas-es.

 

“Versipel,” vers[e] i pel, could be translated, in macaronic Zemblanglish,  as “he sang verse,” which equals “that odd muse of mine”.

 

VN was not above playing with his readers who do not know Russian. The first paragraph of ADA comes to mind. “…another Tolsoy work, Detstvo i Otrochestvo

(Childhood and Fatherland,…)”. To the reader in the know, Otrochestvo is “boyhood,” and not to be confused with Otechestvo, “fatherland”.

 

Shade’s connection to the family name Lukin comes from the Russian “luk” which means “arrow” or “onion”. Maybe someone can do something with that!

Onion domes anyone? Slings and arrows?

 

Best wishes,

 

Jerry Katsell