Волынка

by Don  

I have never had a conversation in Russia about Scottish music, so I have never actually heard a Russian use the Russian word for bagpipe, which is волынка. Imagine my surprise when I came across a Russian website dedicated to bagpipes. The only thing I could think of that would be stranger would be an American website devoted to сало. Sample sentences:

Волынка относится к числу наиболее древних музыкальных инструментов человечества. (source) The bagpipe is among mankind's most ancient musical instruments.
— Твой брат всегда был глухим?
— Нет, он оглох на концерте волынок.
“Has your brother always been deaf?”
“No, he lost his hearing at a bagpipe concert.”
У бабушки на даче раньше были тараканы, но как только она начала играть на волынке, так называемая музыка их выгнала всех. Grandma's summer house use to have cockroaches, but as soon as she started playing the bagpipe, the so-called music drove them all away.

Last Saturday I was at a concert starring the famous Bulgarian musician Theodosii Spassov, and to my great surprise right in the middle of his band was a guy playing the bagpipe. Who knew the Bulgarians had bagpipes? And about an eighth of the time he played the bagpipe while standing on one leg, drawing the other up either to practice yoga or support the bag. If you have any idea why a piper stands on one leg while piping, please let me know in the comment section.

It turns out that the Turks also have bagpipes, which they call tulum. The Czechs have bagpipes. The Spanish and Galicians have bagpipes. The Hungarians have bagpipes. The Italians have bagpipes. Even the Poles have bagpipes! What's even odder is that the Poles have nearly half a dozen words for the instrument, depending just where you are in Poland.


bgгайда
dedie Sackpfeife, der Dudelsack
esgaita
frla cornemuse
pldudy, koza, gajdy, sierszenki, kobza
tktulum


Used by permission of Артемий Лебедев

2 comments

Comment from: Vitaly Repin [Visitor]

There is very important idiom with the word “волынка"- “тянуть волынку” or “волынить".

The meaning is not to do something but rather simulate.

The dictionary explains: Медлить с чем либо, затягивать какое либо дело.

12/22/11 @ 11:01
Comment from: Pavel Bersenyov [Visitor]

I’ve rate your humor. Very nice.

Thanx for the link :)

05/07/09 @ 11:26


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