Rusin proverbs of Biblical origin against the East Slavic background

The Rusin language holds a distinct yet integral position within the Slavic language family. Its belonging to the East Slavic subgroup and its proximity to the West Slavic linguistic area have left a mark on all levels of its system, particularly in its vocabulary and phraseology. This is evident in the sacred sphere, specifically in how the text of the Bible is rendered in Rusin. Here, precedent texts exhibit significant similarities due to the sacred nature of their source, while also displaying specific features arising from differences in Scriptural translation and the linguo-stylistic capacities of the Rusin language. A comparison with other East Slavic languages reveals a nuanced gradation of these commonalities and differences, which is crucial for understanding the specificity of Rusin. This article presents preliminary results from the Russian Science Foundation project “The Biblical Heritage of the East Slavic Languages in Linguocultural and Lexicographic Interpretation (Large Russian-Belarusian-Ukrainian-Rusin Dictionary of Biblicisms).” The compilers of this dictionary analyze several types of Rusin proverbs of Biblical origin, comparing them with their closely related Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian counterparts to reveal both similarities and differences in conveying a sacred textual source.

Keywords

Authors

References