Sentence 3 in Kalinka
This is a sentence in Russian from Kalinka. It is composed of 9 words.
Ах, под сосною, под зеленою, спать положите вы меня!
English translation
Oh, under the pine tree, under the green one, put me to sleep!
Description
Analysis of the phrase in context.
It refers to a green pine tree (сосна) and asks to be laid down to sleep beneath it. Pines symbolize peace and stability, so this could mean longing for rest, comfort, or even an escape from worries. There’s also a romantic undertone—perhaps Larionov wanted to dream of love under the tree’s shelter.
Word sources
A quick overview of the meaning of each word and its etymology.
| ах | ах | ah! | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *axъ. |
| под | под | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *podъ. | |
| сосною | сосна | pine | Inherited from Old East Slavic сосна (sosna), from Proto-Slavic *sosna, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱesn-. |
| под | под | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *podъ. | |
| зеленою | зеленою | ||
| спать | спать | to sleep | Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sъpati, distantly related to English soporific, hypnosis and somnolent. |
| положите | положить | to put | From по- (po-) + ложи́ть (ložítʹ). Compare Serbo-Croatian положити, Polish położyć, Czech položit. |
| вы | вы | you | From Old East Slavic вы (vy), from Proto-Slavic *vy, from Proto-Indo-European *yū́. Cognate with Sanskrit यूयम् (yūyam) and English you. Use of Вы as a formal singular is attested in East Slavic literature from the 11th-16th century, under influence of Byzantine speech. It started becoming widespread in Russian society during the rule of Peter the Great, under French and German influence, and became ingrained by the 19th century. |
| меня | я | I |