Gorbatsovin perestroikan keskeinen sanasto

Authors

• Riitta Pyykkö

Abstract

New words have entered the Russian language during perestroika. Some words have taken on new emotional overtones and certain rarely used words have become more common. Words formerly used of Gorbachev’s to describe only tsarist Russia or foreign countries are now used to describe Soviet society as well. The meanings of certain words have come closer to those common in western countries. The word »party», for example, used to refer only to the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. Now it refers to parties in general. The vocabulary of the Russian language is being renewed. Words of Russian origin are used when talking about morality, law, and rights. The use of loan words has become more common in the contexts of the market economy or parliamentarism.