How to Translate Compounds into Russian?

Abstract

The present study contributes to contrastive Germanic-Slavic linguistics through an empirical investigation of Norwegian compounds and corresponding constructions in Russian. First, it is demonstrated that five Russian constructions function as frequent equivalents of Norwegian compounds: simplex word, adjective+noun, noun+noun in the genitive, noun+prepositional phrase, and compound. Second, it is shown that the five Russian constructions differ in frequency, with simplex word as the most widely used option and compound displaying the lowest frequency. Third, it is proposed that although the choice between the Russian constructions is not fully predictable, it is possible to state statistical tendencies, and to this end five prototypical patterns are discussed in detail. Finally, it is argued that the Norwegian-based prototypical patterns must be supplemented with Russian-based generalizations that capture the meanings of the Russian constructions that correspond to Norwegian compounds.