Russian vs Belarusian for dummies
Posted: 26/09/2011 Filed under: Belarus | Tags: Belarus, languages Leave a commentRussian and Belarusian are the two official languages in Belarus. By all accounts Russian is far more widely spoken, both in Belarus in general and Minsk in particular. (There’s also a Russian–Belarusian hybrid, and Belarusian can be written according to at least two different conventions. But let’s keep things simple here.)
I’m frustrated that I don’t understand either language and at least I want to know which one it is that I’m hearing or reading. Hearing, I’ve no idea; but reading, it’s easy. Consider this bilingual sign on one building:
Which half is Russian, which Belarusian?
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