Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'tergiversate'

English Word: tergiversate

Key Russian Translations:

• уклоняться [ʊklɐˈnʲat͡sə] - [Formal, used in contexts involving evasion or equivocation in discussions or politics]
• изменять мнение [ɪzmʲeˈnʲatʲ mʲeˈnʲije] - [Informal, used in everyday conversations about changing views or indecisiveness]

Frequency: Low (This verb and its translations are not commonly used in everyday Russian speech; more prevalent in formal writing, literature, or political discourse.)

Difficulty: C1 (Advanced; requires understanding of nuanced verb conjugations and context-specific usage, as 'tergiversate' itself is a rare English word with no direct one-to-one equivalent in Russian.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

уклоняться: [ʊklɐˈnʲat͡sə]

изменять мнение: [ɪzmʲeˈnʲatʲ mʲeˈnʲije]

Note on уклоняться: The stress falls on the third syllable ('nʲat͡sə'), and the verb can have slight regional variations in pronunciation, such as in faster speech where the 'ʊ' sound may soften.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To be evasive or equivocal in speech or action

Translation(s) & Context:

• уклоняться - Used in formal contexts, such as debates or negotiations, to describe avoiding direct answers.
• изменять мнение - Applied in informal settings, like personal discussions, to indicate shifting opinions without commitment.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда уклоняется от прямых вопросов во время интервью. (He always evades direct questions during interviews.)

  English Translation: He always tergiversates when faced with direct questions in interviews.

• В переговорах политик уклоняется, чтобы не раскрывать свои истинные намерения. (In negotiations, the politician evades to avoid revealing his true intentions.)

  English Translation: In negotiations, the politician tergiversates to hide his real plans.

• Из-за неопределённости она начала изменять мнение в разговоре с друзьями. (Due to uncertainty, she started changing her mind in a conversation with friends.)

  English Translation: Due to uncertainty, she began to tergiversate in her conversation with friends.

• Бизнесмен уклоняется от деталей, чтобы сохранить преимущество. (The businessman evades details to maintain an advantage.)

  English Translation: The businessman tergiversates on details to keep the upper hand.

To change one's position, opinion, or allegiance repeatedly

Translation(s) & Context:

• уклоняться - In historical or political contexts, to describe deserting a cause without full commitment.
• изменять мнение - In everyday life, for indecisiveness in personal decisions.

Usage Examples:

• В ходе дебатов он уклоняется от своей исходной позиции. (During the debates, he evades his original position.)

  English Translation: During the debates, he tergiversates from his initial stance.

• Она часто изменяет мнение, когда речь заходит о важных решениях. (She often changes her mind when it comes to important decisions.)

  English Translation: She frequently tergiversates when making significant choices.

• Политик уклоняется от партии, чтобы привлечь новых сторонников. (The politician evades his party to attract new supporters.)

  English Translation: The politician tergiversates from his party to gain new followers.

• Под давлением он начал изменять мнение в споре. (Under pressure, he started changing his mind in the argument.)

  English Translation: Under pressure, he began to tergiversate in the argument.

• В кризисных ситуациях люди склонны уклоняться от прежних убеждений. (In crisis situations, people tend to evade their former beliefs.)

  English Translation: In crisis situations, people are prone to tergiversate from their previous convictions.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both primary translations are verbs, which follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. 'Уклоняться' is an imperfective verb, while 'изменять мнение' is a phrase involving the verb 'изменять', which is also imperfective. Russian verbs inflect based on tense, aspect, person, number, and gender.

Note: These verbs do not have irregular inflections but follow the standard patterns for first-conjugation verbs in Russian.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • уклоняться: извиваться (to wriggle), маневрировать (to maneuver)
  • изменять мнение: колебаться (to hesitate), передумывать (to rethink) - Note: 'колебаться' implies more emotional fluctuation.
• Antonyms:
  • уклоняться: стоять на своём (to stand one's ground)
  • изменять мнение: придерживаться мнения (to stick to one's opinion)

Related Phrases:

• Уклоняться от ответа - (To evade an answer; used in contexts where someone avoids giving a direct response.)
• Изменять свою позицию - (To change one's position; common in debates or negotiations to indicate shifting allegiance.)
• Быть уклончивым в переговорах - (To be evasive in negotiations; a phrase highlighting indirect communication in business or politics.)

Usage Notes:

'Уклоняться' is a more formal equivalent to 'tergiversate' and is often used in written Russian or professional settings, while 'изменять мнение' is conversational and less intense. English speakers should note that Russian requires careful attention to verb aspect (imperfective for ongoing actions), and context dictates which translation fits best—e.g., use 'уклоняться' for political evasion and 'изменять мнение' for personal indecisiveness. Always consider the grammatical case of accompanying nouns for accuracy.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'уклоняться' interchangeably with 'изменять' without context, e.g., saying "Я изменяю мнение в политике" when 'уклоняться' is more appropriate for evasion.
  Correct: "Я уклоняюсь в политике" (I am evading in politics). Explanation: 'Изменять' implies voluntary change, while 'уклоняться' suggests deliberate avoidance.
• Mistake: Incorrect conjugation, e.g., saying "Он уклоняешся" instead of "Он уклоняется".
  Correct: "Он уклоняется". Explanation: Russian verbs must agree with the subject in person and number; this is a common error for beginners.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'уклоняться' often carry connotations of Soviet-era politics, where public figures might evade questions to avoid dissent. This reflects a historical emphasis on indirect communication in authoritarian contexts, helping English users understand the subtle distrust implied in such vocabulary.

Related Concepts:

• колебание (hesitation)
• маневр (maneuver)
• предательство (betrayal)