At all times, people needed to explain themselves and understand each other. And this is especially important if they speak different languages, even if they are related. And then you get a kind of mixture that incorporates the features of both dialects.
Rise
What is surzhik? Linguists do not have an unambiguous opinion on this matter. This phenomenon has not yet been studied enough, although it has been observed for a very long time, and even now it takes place. Usually, this term is understood as a mixture of Ukrainian and Russian languages, but sometimes a contact system between any two dialects is called surzhik. Surzhik is not considered an independent language, it is even closer to jargon, although it is quite developed.
The original meaning of this word had nothing to do with linguistics - it was the name of bread or flour made from several types of grain.
The reasons for this phenomenon are quite simple: for several centuries the Ukrainian language was oppressed in every possible way, it was said that it was just a dialect of Russian. For some time there was even a ban on printing books in Ukrainian, the development of the language became impossible. It is not surprising that in such conditions the formation ofmore or less simple version that combines the features of both languages.
Probably Ukrainian surzhik had several sources. Firstly, this is communication in mixed families, and secondly, the rural version, replete with Russianisms, and, of course, the need to understand each other and explain to people who initially speak different languages. So the process of interpenetration is quite logical.
Features
What is surzhik in terms of linguistics? What structure does it have? There are no clear answers to all these questions yet. The status is also unclear. Someone thinks that it can be considered nothing more than slang, just a colloquial style. Some argue that its essence is more complicated than the simple contamination of the Ukrainian language with Russian words. There are even opinions that it develops into an independent linguistic offshoot, and is not a colloquial or illiterate version of the recipient language. Thus, the question of what surzhik is is still open.
The grammar rules remain the same. The vocabulary is filled with Russianisms - in the classical sense, this is Surzhik. As a result, words are understandable to speakers of both dialects, that is, more or less normal contact is possible. Surzhik has no official status. Modern linguists of Ukraine consider it simply as a corrupted version of the literary language.
Disputes about what surzhik is, how to perceive it, subside for a while, but then flare up again.
Moderndistribution
Appearing in the 19th century, it still exists. Actually, the "classic" surzhik is now used by about a fifth of the population of Ukraine - it is spoken by up to 18% of citizens. Most of all, it is distributed, of course, on the border with the Russian Federation - that is, in the northeastern part of the country. In neighboring regions that already belong to the Russian Federation (Voronezh and Belgorod), it is also used, however, it has a slightly different form. Residents of these places claim to speak Ukrainian, although in fact it is Russian with borrowings.
There are instances where this phenomenon is used to create comic effect in both spoken and written language. There is also a language branch on the border with Poland, it is also called Surzhik.
Usage examples
As already mentioned, the main feature of Surzhik is the preservation of the general principles of Ukrainian grammar and spelling when borrowing Russian words. The result is an extremely interesting mixture.
| Surzhik | Literary Ukrainian language |
| First, second, third | First, second, third |
| Discounts for your flights? | Skіlki tebi rokіv? |
| How did you do it? | How are you doing? |
| Yak to have to | How to happen |
Despite the unclear status and future prospects, today surzhik is an extremely interesting linguistica phenomenon that causes so much controversy precisely because it can be perceived in completely different ways. In any case, this is a certain stage in the development of the language.
Who knows, perhaps in the future he will be completely separated. Perhaps the desire of Ukrainians for self-identification will lead to a complete return of the literary norm.
Other mixed languages
Despite the fact that surzhik is an interesting phenomenon, it is by no means unique. For example, in Belarus, in addition to the literary language, there is the so-called trasyanka, similar to the Ukrainian version. In addition, mixtures exist in Europe. Their local dialects are common in Greece, Serbia, Sweden, Norway, Great Britain and other countries. They can also be found in a number of regions of Latin America, in Africa. There is an example in Russia - the Aleutian-Mednovian language, which exists on one of the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea. He is dying. According to 2004 information, only 5 people owned it. And since this dialect does not have its own written language, it will disappear completely with the death of the last speaker.
