Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2021 February 21

= February 21 =

How exactly do you translate the word/term "grrrl" into Russian?
How exactly do you translate the word/term "grrrl" (NOT "girl", which is "devochka") into Russian? Futurist110 (talk) 07:56, 21 February 2021 (UTC)
 * Russian девочка is used for really young girls. When I see "grrrl" I think of the riot grrrls, and when Molly Neuman produced the zine Riot Grrrl, in 1991, she was 19. The Russian Wikipedia leaves the term "Riot Grrrl" untranslated and untransliterated, but the earlier use of "riot girl" by Jen Smith is translated there as девичьего бунта "devich'yego bunta", using a case form of the adjective девичий "devichiy", meaning (in this non-literary context) "girlish". The adjective is derived from the noun девица "devitsa", which however is not a good model for a translation of (riot) "grrrl", because it is an archaic term meaning "damsel" rather than having the connotation of a rebellious young woman. That leaves девушка "devushka" and девчонка "devchonka". The former is probably more common (also used for "girlfriend") while the second may have a somewhat derogatory sense. Unfortunately, none of these has a rollable consonant; "grrrl" suggests (to me) a growl, like a dog's warning it might bite. I have no idea what a native Russian speaker would make of девввшка "devvvshka" – perhaps they would think you have a speech impediment. --Lambiam 10:38, 21 February 2021 (UTC)
 * What about дъвушка or, alternatively, дъвка? Of course, please keep in mind that just like a female can be a boi, a male can be a grrrl. For instance, John Maclean, who is NOT a girl but IS both The Man AND a grrrl: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRPIZtgcx0D7A0rXAC3x-1A Futurist110 (talk) 22:33, 21 February 2021 (UTC)
 * These are not pronounceable, ъ affects vowels, not consonants. Elephas X. Maximus (talk) 00:59, 22 February 2021 (UTC)
 * So, what about двввшка "dvvvshka"? Futurist110 (talk) 00:39, 23 February 2021 (UTC)


 * There is the old-fashioned spelling дѣвушка, which however is merely an orthographic variant of девушка. Russians can pronounce двушка "dvushka", but this already has the meaning of a coin, specifically a two-kopeck piece. And двчонка "dvchonka" has a slang notion of "slut". --Lambiam 08:15, 22 February 2021 (UTC)
 * A Russian manifestation of the feminist punk movement is Pussy Riot - not sure if that helps. Alansplodge (talk) 13:50, 21 February 2021 (UTC)
 * Interesting. Futurist110 (talk) 22:33, 21 February 2021 (UTC)