April 13, 2021. VCIOM presents the results of a survey about loanwords in the Russian speech, the attitudes of Russians towards them and the promotion of the Russian language abroad.

Do loanwords enrich language?

More than two-thirds of Russians (67%) consider that it is important to use the Russians words and introduce native counterparts instead of loanwords. Twenty-three percent disagree with them: they say that it is necessary to use the borrowed words which are actively used worldwide (23%).

The latter opinion is largely shared by men (27%) and young persons aged 18-24 (41%). As age increases, the share of respondents supporting the former opinion goes up: 64% of those aged 25-44; 69% of those aged 45-59 and 74% and persons aged over 60. This clash of opinion is not only typical of young persons and older respondents. Residents of large cities are more likely to support borrowings than those living in small localities and rural area. In the metropolitan area, both opinions are equally shared (43%, respectively).

Fifty-four percent of Russians believe that using loanwords in everyday and business communication can threaten development and preservation of the Russian language. This stance is often popular with rural area residents (61%). On the contrary, 30% of Russians (basically those living in Moscow and St Petersburg (47%) and residents of million-plus cities and cities with 500-950 thousand inhabitants (36-35%)) view borrowings as opportunities to enrich speech.

Despite a possible threat to the Russian language purity, more than half of Russians perceive the misuse of loanwords easily (54%). They are often women (56%), the 18-24-year-olds (72%) and the 25-34-olds (65%). Almost every fifth respondent does not notice loanwords at all (18%). Twenty-seven percent of respondents get irritated; 17% of them do not hide their discontent. Russians aged 45 and older show the highest degree of irritation.

As to the personal use of loanwords, half of respondents say they do not use them at all (50%; often Russians aged 60 and older — 64%). Even though 67% of Russians state that foreign words should be replaced with the Russian ones, 45% of Russians use borrowed words to varying degree. Twenty-one percent of respondents use loanwords on a daily basis - often young Russians (39% of the 18-24-year-olds). Men are more likely to use foreign words in their everyday vocabulary than women (27% vs 17% of women). Seventeen percent of Russians use foreign words once to four times a week; 7%, once every few months.

Return of the archaic words into the language

A living language, unlike a dead language, is a dynamic, flexible, and constantly evolving system. Loanwords enter the Russian language, however originally Russian words also come into general use again. A quarter of Russians (24%) say they are using different words and word combinations which have long been abandoned. The most popular ones are: sudarynya, sudarushka (9%), dokole (3%), sudar (3%), and baryshnya (2%). Sixty-four percent of Russians never use old-fashioned words.

Expansion of the Russian language abroad

Borrowing is not a one-way process. Thirty-three percent of respondents believe that people living in the European countries use certain Russian words in their life. This opinion is common among young respondents (48% of the 18-24-year-olds); 55% disagree with them.

Over the past decade the number of those who know and /or learn the Russian language is likely to have increased: 48% of Russians think so - mainly Russians aged 18-24 (67%). Seventeen percent of respondents consider that this share has not changed; 25% say this share is likely to have declined.

Russian nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on March 31, 2021. A total of 1,600 of Russians aged 18 and older took part in the survey. Results are based on telephone interviews. Stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers was used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.