The Correct Name for the Post-Easter Memorial Week
Linguist Olha Vasylieva has clarified the proper terminology for the memorial week following Easter and addressed why certain common names are missing from authoritative dictionaries. She noted that this period has three widely used names in Ukrainian tradition: Provody, Groby, and Radonitsa. However, only the term 'Provody' is officially registered in the contemporary academic explanatory dictionary (SUM-20). This highlights the ongoing process of how living language and tradition interact with formal lexicography.
Vasylieva focused on the word 'Radonitsa,' which derives from the word for 'joy' and is found in many Slavic languages, including Belarusian, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, and Croatian. She questioned its absence from the Ukrainian dictionary, explaining that the situation parallels that of the word 'rozchiska' (a type of hairstyle)—neither term was used by classic literary authors. According to text corpus data, there are 125 mentions of 'Radonitsa,' all originating from media sources rather than literature. Similarly, the word 'Groby' was not used by classic authors and is therefore also absent from the dictionary.
Feminine Forms and Linguistic Precision
In a related discussion, a reader of the publication 'Hlavkom' inquired about feminine forms for the words 'magician,' 'psychic,' and 'medium,' as well as a masculine form for 'fortune-teller' (feminine). Olha Vasylieva also clarified the spelling of 'Greenland' with an 'e' in Ukrainian. These explanations underscore the importance of linguistic precision and awareness in the use of terminology, reflecting modern efforts to make language more inclusive and accurate.
The debate over the names for the post-Easter memorial week and their exclusion from dictionaries emphasizes the significance of linguistic culture and tradition. Recognizing terms like 'Radonitsa' could aid in their revival and acceptance within the Ukrainian language. This discussion also opens a broader conversation about the role of media in shaping the modern lexicon and the necessity of considering folk traditions in dictionary policy.
In addition to the discussion on the terminology surrounding the memorial week, there are also broader questions about language usage that merit attention. For instance, readers have raised inquiries regarding the appropriate feminine forms of various professions and the correct spelling of geographical names. To explore these linguistic nuances and their implications further, you can read more about how to accurately name the week following Easter and find answers to ten related questions in our detailed article exploring naming conventions and reader queries.