Comment by libertine | Hacker News Reader

Comment by libertine | Hacker News Reader

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What does it mean in the current Russian political environment?

> The term Little Russia is now anachronistic when used to refer to the country Ukraine and the modern Ukrainian nation, its language, culture, etc. Such usage is typically perceived as conveying an imperialist view that the Ukrainian territory and people ("Little Russians") belong to "one, indivisible Russia".Today, many Ukrainians consider the term disparaging, indicative of Russian suppression of Ukrainian identity and language. It has continued to be used in Russian nationalist discourse, in which modern Ukrainians are presented as a single people in a united Russian nation. This has provoked new hostility toward and disapproval of the term by many Ukrainians. In July 2021 Vladimir Putin published a 7000-word essay, a large part of which was devoted to expounding these views. [0]

Just to make sure, according to you, this is completely false and detached?

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Russia#Modern_usage

But this is a small detail from my reply, why are people so focused on this? Even if I was wrong, which I don't see that I am, everything else still stands.

So "The Russian regime (and apparently a lot of Russians) deem Ukrainians as an inferior ethnic group - they call them "little Russians"." it is? And this follows from the link? Have you read it? Really?

The term Малороссия now days is outdated indeed, as wiki says. This term was first introduced not even by Russia but by Byzantine Church and word "мало" ("little" as you "translate" here) means "original" "primordial" to distinct two church branches and then where used to denote parts of Rus' under Polish rule.

Note, the linked article does not say that Russians use this term to denote someone inferior. It says that some Ukrainians consider this word offensive which is not surprising taking into account active propaganda and lack of historical education in masses.

You still failed to address the question: "little russians", "kholkhols" are ethnic slurs being used by Russian nationalists as terms of endearment?

> It says that some Ukrainians consider this word offensive which is not surprising taking into account active propaganda and lack of historical education in masses.

So not because Russians are in their land trying to kill as many Ukrainians as possible, terrorizing them, and destroying their culture? It's all because of propaganda?

I addressed you phrase about Russians seen Ukrainians as an inferior ethnic group and "proving" this by "they call them "little Russians", please don't shift topics. This is BS. There is no such phrase "little Russians" in Russian language.

Ethnic slurs exists of course. In any language. And "kholkhols" is one of them. As well as word "moskal'" in Ukranian. Do you know what it means? And ethnic slurs are not used in official language, you know. I mean Russian official language.

>So not because Russians are in their land trying to kill as many Ukrainians as >possible, terrorizing them, and destroying their culture? It's all because of >propaganda? Yes, just because of propaganda targeted at low educated people. I mean you can hate Russia for starting the war and turn a blind eye to Ukrainians killing Donbass people but hating historical word referring to some lands that now are part of Ukraine? Just because it has "мало" in it? You need combination of propaganda and low intelligence here.

P.S. Not going to continue. This all conversation is just waist of my time.

I didn't say "Russians" I said the Regime and a lot of Russians (extreme nationalist ones), which are the ones running the propaganda machine.

It has been used has a derogatory term, like other ethnic slurs.

> And ethnic slurs are not used in official language, you know. I mean Russian official language.

If they are part of the Russian State propaganda language, then they're part of the official language. You, in particular, might not like it and feel uncomfortable with it, but that doesn't mean it's not happening. So you're misguided in your assessment, the problem isn't the new derogatory meaning of the word "little russian", it's the people using it while supporting the genocide in Ukraine.

> As well as word "moskal'" in Ukranian. Do you know what it means?

Oh I'm sure there are plenty of slurs from Ukrainians towards the people invading their land, killing and raping, destroying their livelyhood and culture in an attempt to erase them from the map! How do you expect people to react towards the people committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide?

> I mean you can hate Russia for starting the war and turn a blind eye to Ukrainians killing Donbass people

So your take is still the propaganda hook? Russia has killed more Ukrainians in the Donbass than anyone else since 2014 - they're the only ones to blame. They can try to spin it, but all the evidence points in their direction.

As for "hating an historical word" I don't even know what that means. Words in itself are not subject of being hated, its the people who use them with bad intentions that are the problem here.

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