Re: Etymology of "tibla"

On Oct 28, 10:16 am, Aleks <aleks.tapi...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 27 Okt., 00:28, martin <marti...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:





On Oct 27, 5:10 am, Vladimir Makarenko <makar...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Aleks wrote:

On 26 Okt., 14:15, martin <marti...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've always be curious about this term. I've never heard it used
within the Estonian emigre community in Australia as I was growing up
(perhaps I led a sheltered childhood). I've read some where that is
was used during WW2. It's said that Estonian veterans claim that the
word came from word "debiil" (imbecile) to describe tactics of red
army soldiers at that time, such as massed frontal assaults into
machinegun fire, for example.

Any comments?

Regards,
Martin

On 26 Okt., 14:15, martin <marti...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've always be curious about this term. I've never heard it used
within the Estonian emigre community in Australia as I was growing up
(perhaps I led a sheltered childhood). I've read some where that is
was used during WW2. It's said that Estonian veterans claim that the
word came from word "debiil" (imbecile) to describe tactics of red
army soldiers at that time, such as massed frontal assaults into
machinegun fire, for example.

Any comments?

Regards,
Martin

Not an expert on the Estonian language, but in Russian,

I really doubt the part about your Russian. Have my reasons.

the word
"debil" also means imbecile.

According to Wikipedia, the word came from the Russian, "ty, blya"
which is how the Red Army addressed the local population. I'd struggle
to find an equal English equivalent. The best I can come up with was
"You, bitch." "Blya" has so many meanings, I've lost track.

In the mentioned address to the other person "blya" has no semantic
role, it is only an expletive, as use of "***" in English. As to its
meaning when used as a semantic unit - it is "a whore" and nothing else.

It's remarkable that you know exactly what it means, while there is
uncertainty amongst Estonians themselves. Obviously the word sounds
similar to "a whore" in Russian, but then the word "wit" means
intelligence in english, white in dutch, and in Estonian is sounds
like the slang word "***". Also, it's pronounced "teeb-la", so the
stress does not correspond to the Russian pronounciation "ty, blya".
So I don't think it's all so clear cut.

Regards,
Martin

Gosh, Martin, the word changes overtime as does the stress.

Aleks- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

By me "tibla" is much older then and is similar by original meaning to
Greek-roman "barbarian" (bar-bar, speakers of weird, not
understandable language). This way it may be originated from end of
19, start of 20 century when workers from Russia start to appear in
Estonian cities. By me it is not 100% correct to tie that word just
with russians - anyone would qualify as "tibla", if a) he speaks not
understandable language, b) was from lower end by education and
manners. For sure newcomers from central Asian parts of russian empire
"qualified" as tiblas much better then ethnic russians :-) It may be
that after 1940 it starts to cover anyone coming with Soviet troops.

.