These words don’t carry any semantic load, but they are said quite often. Such words or interjections exist in all languages.
In English, they are also referred to as ‘filler words’ or ‘crutch words.’ For instance: ‘like,’ ‘well,’ ‘actually’… They’re needed to fill the voids in the speech and thoughts.
In Russian, such words are exclusively called ‘parasite words.’ Firstly, because they are inserted into speech without any grammatical connotation. And, secondly, they sometimes literally infest oral speech… like parasites!
“The main feature of these words is that they add nothing to the content of the statement, so they can easily be omitted: The meaning will not only not change, but it will, most often, also become clearer,” says Andrey Gorshkov, an editor at Gramota.ru (Грамота.ру).
Most often, the parasites are particles, introductory words, interjections, and, sometimes, whole expressions.
To find out about the most common Russian ‘parasite words,’ read the article on the ‘Gateway to Russia’ portal.
Alexandra Guzeva
