Word Is A Word Is A Word Is A Word

We all know a few words of languages we do not speak. Once in a while this enables us to identify the language two strangers are speaking. When we hear a word we know we suddenly notice it and try to interpret what else is being said.

There are a few words of Russian which are well known in Western Europe. We understand Pravda, Izvestia, Glasnost, Vodka, Rouble, Bistro, Perpetuallymiserable. One word that is also not unfamiliar is one which sounds like "Dooshay". This means "soul" either literally or metaphorically. You can imagine the sort of discussions where this word would be used and they are generally at such a high or technical level that most of the other words would not be understood. Nevertheless when we hear Dooshay we get an idea what the conversation is about and what sort of sentiments are being expressed.

It was good to move into a new flat. People seemed to like the new place. In particular a Russian speaker I know. They had visited the old flat and seen some of my belongings there whilst others were in a storage room. On this occassion everything I own was crammed into one room and objects not previously encountered were now visible.

The Russian speaker sat down for a while. They were enjoying the chance to sit down and feel good and get to know the new place. The experience even seemed to be having a spiritual effect. They tried to express their delight in being there but could not think of the English term. So they languidly pronounced the word "dooshaybah". Quite right too. "Bah" was clearly a grammatical form of the word I had not come across. They were telling me how much their soul was uplifted by being in the new flat. They were also implying that it made them think about other uplifting things such as their children and their Church. I agreed and repeated the word. It was very nice that they were there too and the day itself was thus likewise "dooshaybah".

It was a surprise when they responded with "this dooshaybah". They were referring to a particular tangible thing but were not pointing anywhere. This altered the possible meaning of the word. I asked "what is dooshaybah?" "Here dooshaybah" was the reply. I was right the first time. It was dooshasybah to be here in the new flat. I agreed and began to converse about how nice things were.

Finally my companion lost patience. They said firmly "televizor dooshaybah". Indeed it was. "Televizor" clearly meant television. This had been in the storage room at the old flat. Written on the frame of the screen was the word "Toshiba". So much for stereotyped views of Russian inscrutability. This deep and meaningful phrase had been shown to have hitherto unperceived depths of shallowness. Just because it was foreign it was assumed to be mysterious. You would never imagine a spiritual Russian speaker would debase themselves by wasting their words on mere consumer goods.

After the laughter had died down it was time to reflect. There are only so many sounds human beings can make. There are several instances of sounds which mean one thing in one language and something totally different in another. "Calda" means hot rather than cold in Italian. But there are reasons why the same sound is considered to be the best expression of different meanings. All sounds have an intrinsic meaning which the words they are used in try to interpret. So what was the connection between the uplifted soul and a specific Japanese electronic goods manufacturer? Were the Japanese trying to say that the products of the company are figuratively dooshaybah? Was the first Mr. Toshiba so named because he appeared to be a particularly enlightened being to those around him?

There was a Russian mission in Japan. There is now a Japanese Orthodox Church as a result. It has never been conclusively proven that what we now call the Toshiba family had not encountered the term dooshaybah. There is no evidence to prove that they did not consciously adopt this name as a result of discovering its meaning. After all surnames are a relatively recent invention. Are not our lives closer to a state of dooshaybah as a result of this company and its goods? Was my mispronouncing friend actually wiser than they knew?

If the above is so all we need to work out is what the company would be called if it were English not Japanese. It is obvious that only one word can express the same exalted spirituality as dooshaybah. If Toshiba was English it would be called Birmingham. That city adopted that particular name because that variant was used on its quality manufactures. Was Birmingham the first dooshaybah? If so no lifetime will ever be enough to fully assimilate this fundamental human truth.