Подушка

by Tatiana  

Some words in Russian are formed in a very simple way, almost as if someone just looked at an object and made an observation. Take, for example, подушка, “pillow”. Под means “under” and ушко is “little ear”. So, what do you put under your ear – a pillow!

Подушка is a noun of feminine gender. The plural form is подушки, diminutive is подушечка.

SgPl
Nomподушкаподушки
Accподушку
Genподушкиподушек
Preподушке подушках
Datподушкам
Insподушкойподушками

Скажите, а у вас нет зелёных подушек с красными цветами? Tell me, do you have any green pillows with red flowers?
— Лена меня подушкой по голове ударила!
— Отвести тебя в отделение скорой помощи?
“Lena hit me on the head with a pillow!”
“Should I take you to the emergency room?”
— Тебе какую подушку, большую или маленькую?
— А я вообще без подушки сплю.
“Which pillow do you want, a big or a small one?”
“I sleep without a pillow.”
Мне так спать хочется, я о подушке только и могу думать! I am so sleepy, all I can think of is a pillow!


Airbag in Russian is called подушка безопасности, ‘safety pillow’.

— Ты в аварию попал? Как ты себя чувствуешь?
— Всё нормально. Хорошо, что подушка безопасности сработала!
“Did you get into an accident? How are you feeling?”
“It’s all good. I was lucky that the airbag worked!”


Fingertips are called подушечки пальцев, which literally means ‘little finger pillows’.

— У меня очень сильно болит голова.
— Попробуй очень нежно помасировать виски подушечками пальцев.
“I have a very bad headache.”
“Try gently massaging your temples with your fingertips.”

My mom sometimes uses a phrase that my great grandfather would always say, "спите скорее, подушка нужна!", "sleep faster, we need the pillow!". I would hear it when I took too long to fall asleep. I'm not sure where he got it from, but this saying has been in my family for a long time!


Don adds: Although it is true that some people connect подушка with the root ух- ‘ear,’ there is an alternative hypothesis that connects it with an ancient word for feather based on the stem дух- ‘breath/puff.’ See Fasmer for discussion.

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