Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'contumacious'

English Word: contumacious

Key Russian Translations:

• Упрямый [ʊˈpramɨj] - [Formal, often used in legal or descriptive contexts]
• Непокорный [nʲɪpɐˈkornɨj] - [Formal, emphasizing rebellion or defiance]

Frequency: Medium (This word and its translations are not everyday vocabulary but appear in formal writing, literature, and discussions on behavior or law.)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of Russian adjective inflections and nuanced contexts. For 'Упрямый', it's B2; for 'Непокорный', it may edge toward B2-C1 due to its connotations in historical or rebellious themes.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

Упрямый: [ʊˈpramɨj]

Непокорный: [nʲɪpɐˈkornɨj]

Note on Упрямый: The stress falls on the second syllable; be cautious with the soft 'р' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers. A common variant in fast speech might soften the ending.

Audio: []

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning: Stubbornly resistant to authority or disobedient.

Translation(s) & Context:

• Упрямый - Used in formal or everyday contexts to describe personal stubbornness, such as in legal disputes or character descriptions.
• Непокорный - Applied in more intense scenarios, like historical rebellions or metaphorical descriptions of defiance against rules.

Usage Examples:

• Его упрямый характер часто приводил к конфликтам на работе. (His contumacious nature often led to conflicts at work.)

  His stubborn character often led to conflicts at work.

• Дети иногда бывают непокорными, но это часть их роста. (Children can be contumacious at times, but it's part of their growth.)

  Children can be disobedient at times, but it's part of their growth.

• В суде обвиняемый проявил упрямый отказ от сотрудничества. (In court, the defendant showed a contumacious refusal to cooperate.)

  In court, the defendant showed a stubborn refusal to cooperate.

• Непокорный народ восстал против тирании. (The contumacious people rose up against tyranny.)

  The rebellious people rose up against tyranny.

• Её упрямый взгляд ясно показывал, что она не сдастся. (Her contumacious gaze clearly showed that she wouldn't give in.)

  Her stubborn gaze clearly showed that she wouldn't give in.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'Упрямый' and 'Непокорный' are adjectives in Russian, which means they inflect for gender, number, and case. Russian adjectives follow standard patterns with some irregularities based on the root. Here is a breakdown:

These adjectives follow the first declension pattern, which is regular for most hard-stem adjectives. No major irregularities, but ensure agreement with the noun they modify.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • Вздорный (vzdornyy) - More casual, implying quarrelsomeness.
  • Строптивый (stropivyy) - Often used for animals or people in resistance, with a slightly archaic tone.
• Antonyms:
  • Послушный (poslushnyy) - Obedient, contrasting with defiance.
  • Уступчивый (ustupchivyy) - Yielding or compliant, especially in negotiations.

Related Phrases:

• Упрямый как осел (Upryamyy kak osel) - Meaning: Stubborn as a mule; a common idiom for extreme stubbornness.
• Непокорный дух (Nepokornyy dukh) - Meaning: Indomitable spirit; used in motivational or historical contexts to describe resilience.
• Быть упрямым в своих убеждениях (Byt' upryamym v svoikh ubezhdeniyakh) - Meaning: To be contumacious in one's convictions; emphasizes steadfastness in beliefs.

Usage Notes:

'Упрямый' directly corresponds to the formal, legal nuance of 'contumacious', making it ideal for contexts like court proceedings or character analysis. 'Непокорный' is better for broader rebellious themes but may carry historical connotations, such as in Russian literature about uprisings. Always ensure adjective agreement with the noun (e.g., gender and case). In informal speech, 'упрямый' might be replaced with slang like 'застрявший' for a lighter tone. When choosing between translations, opt for 'упрямый' in everyday scenarios and 'неpokорный' for dramatic or official ones.

• Grammar tip: These adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the subject.
• Context tip: Avoid 'неpokорный' in casual conversations to prevent sounding overly dramatic.

Common Errors:

English learners often misuse these adjectives by not adjusting for case or gender, leading to grammatically incorrect sentences. For example:

• Error: *Он упрямый дом (incorrect gender agreement; 'дом' is masculine, but the phrase doesn't make sense).
• Correct: Он упрямый человек (He is a stubborn person). Explanation: Ensure the adjective matches the noun's gender and case for proper sentence structure.
• Error: *Быть непокорным в школе (overgeneralizing; this might imply rebellion, but 'упрямым' is often more fitting for school contexts).
• Correct: Быть упрямым в школе (To be stubborn at school). Explanation: 'Непокорный' suggests outright defiance, while 'упрямый' is subtler for everyday resistance.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'упрямый' and 'неpokорный' often evoke themes of resilience and defiance, as seen in historical events like the Russian Revolution. Stubbornness can be viewed positively as determination (e.g., in folklore heroes), but negatively as obstinacy in social settings, reflecting the cultural value of collectivism over individualism.

Related Concepts:

• Бунт (bunt) - Rebellion
• Восстание (vosstanie) - Uprising
• Стойкость (stoikost') - Endurance