Russian constructions with “nu i” in parallel corpora

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The present study aims to study the Russian construction nu i X. The construction has a wide variety of realizations. Some of them are idioms, e.g. nu i nu (how do you like that) other seem to possess complete compositionality. We are going to analyze a group of near-synonymous constructions nu i pust’, nu i ladno, nu i ne nado (I don’t mind; whatever; oh, well, let…). Cf. (1) and (2).

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(1) Они не захотят в нашем городе жить. – Ну и пусть бегут, […].Мы никого насильно держать не станем.

[”They won't want to live here with us.” “Let them […] We won't try to keep them.”]

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(2) – Скажите ему, […] что, как я сказал, так и будет; […] – Да он не согласен. – Ну, и не надо, – сказал адвокат, […]. ".

[“Tell him, […] that I will not change my terms. […]” “He does not accept them.” “Well, then, let him go,” said the lawyer]

 

These constructions, which appear to be synonymous, possess a complex semantic structure and are not always interchangeable. The construction nu i pust’ is described in Prospekt aktivnogo slovarja (2010, 203-204). Other constructions which we analyze in the present study are not considered in lexicographic sources that we have checked.

Using the RNC and Sketch Engine parallel corpora in English, German and Swedish, we will demonstrate that these constructions display a large number of different parallels (translation equivalents) in English, German and Swedish. This may allow us to explain some differences between them with respect to semantics, pragmatics, and usage. 

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