The Marriage Proposal

Professor Maia Kipp, a native Russian and Chekhov scholar, speaks the place and people names from the play The Marriage Proposal, by Anton Chekhov. For further instruction in the Russian accent of English, visit Paul Meier’s website.

Recorded by Professor Maia Kipp, edited by Paul Meier, November 3, 2007. This is a revision of an earlier file made March 27, 2001. Run time 00:01:48.

CHARACTERS
Stepan Stepanovich Chubukov,  (Stepan Stepanych* colloquial pronunciation; Uvazhay Stepanych – Stepan Uvazhaemych  nonsensical distortions of Stepan’s name indicating that the speaker is nervous)
Natalya Stepanovna, (Natasha* short/familiar)
Ivan Vasilyevich Lomov (Ivan Vasilyich* colloquial pronunciation)

OTHER NAMES TO WHICH CHARACTERS REFER
Lomovs
Chubukovs
Nastasya Mikhaylovna
Mironov

GEOGRAPHIC NAMES
Volovyi Luzhki
Goreloye
Maruskiny Zelenya

DOGS’ NAMES
Ugaday
Otkatay
Zapryagay
Stameska
Razmakhay

* Chekhov is not consistent throughout in terms of  rendering patronymic names of his characters. Most of those on the character lists, as well as in the dialogues, are rendered in their full literary form with the endings –ovich, -yevich. However, some names on the character lists and in dialogues are rendered in their colloquial pronunciation/contracted form, with the endings of –ych, -yich. Asterisks (*) indicate each instance of the use of such a form.