On Wed, 18 May 2005 09:43:26 -0700 Gary Kline wrote: > question that you can answer. [[Sorry that this is going > far OT, gang, but I've been wondering about this since I read > Dostoevsky.]] *Why* are some people addressed by their > first name _and_ by what may/must? be their middle names?? > I remember some woman who seemed upset at Boris Yeltsin > (when he was still President) call him "Boris > [A_Very_Long_String_of_Characters]" Is this to indicate > irony, or affection, or anger... or what?
In Russia we do have Name (i.e. First name), Second name (Middle?) and Last name. I am (official order: Last, First, Second) Samorodov Boris Borisovich. Second name is a special form of my father's First name. I'd say that the main goal of using the form "FirstName SecondName" in russian is to express politeness and respect. We use First name only to speak to close friends and people. Of cause to indicate irony and other we may use m... the long form of the name. But it's rather rarely. Closer to your question. I'll never call the president "Vladimir". I'll say: "Vladimir Vladimirodich" (Putin). > ...And now we return to our regularly schduled programming :-) Done. ;-) > gary WBR -- bsam _______________________________________________ freebsd-stable@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-stable To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
