Russian naming conventions may be confusing to people outside the region, and this gets compounded when people bearing these names come to the US. In this post, I will look at some sources of potential misunderstanding arising from the use of names in the Russian language—in but not limited to the country of Russia and by but not limited to ethnic Russians.
Category Archives: Russian
Should You Use a Low Reading Level in Your Russian Medical Translations?
Translations that read at a low grade level are based on assumptions that may not apply to Russian speakers in the US.
Demand for Russian Outside US-Russia Relations
I am sometimes asked how the interactions between Russia and the US will affect the demand for Russian translation and interpreting. The political climate certainly impacts language services by affecting trade and international cooperation. However, English and Russian are not the exclusive purview of Russia and the US. Here are some areas where Russian is needed independently ofContinue reading “Demand for Russian Outside US-Russia Relations”
How Bad Is Translation Expansion in Russian (And How To Curb It)
Russian is supposed to expand greatly and wreak havoc on your user interface. But does it really expand that much?
Does My Russian Text Look Right? A Guide For Non-Speakers
Perhaps you have to deal with Russian text in your work. Project managers at translation companies, software developers, technical writers, engineers, designers, printers and countless other professionals may need to process or deliver content in Russian — but they may not be able to read it. How can you tell if what you are lookingContinue reading “Does My Russian Text Look Right? A Guide For Non-Speakers”
Three False Assumpions About Loanwords in Russian
We know that languages borrow words for new technology or occupations. We know that a lot of these words come from English. It is easy to assume, then, that all cutting-edge technology must have originated in the English-speaking world and was exported everywhere else, along with its nomenclature. While it is partly true in theContinue reading “Three False Assumpions About Loanwords in Russian”
Russian Dialects
Unlike Spanish translators, who struggle to make their translation usable in multiple Spanish-speaking areas, Russian translators don’t really have to worry about locales. Are there regional dialects in Russia? Most academic resources, like this one, will tell you there are two (or three) main Russian dialects, the most prominent difference being pronunciation. However, the extent ofContinue reading “Russian Dialects”
April Issue: Things to Consider for Localization into Russian
In my personal and professional life I have often encountered social networking that have been localized into Russian. More often than not, localization into Russian reveals internationalization issues that should have been addressed at the design stage. I would like to point out some of the things to consider if you plan localizing your siteContinue reading “April Issue: Things to Consider for Localization into Russian”
Maria Guzenko 