гвалт

See also: ґвалт

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• ґвалт (gvalt) — Taraškievica, rare
• gvałt, hvałt — Łacinka

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Belarusian кгвалтъ (gvalt), غْوَالْطْ (gvalt), from Old Polish gwałt, from Middle High German gewalt (“strength, power”). Compare Polish gwałt, Russian гвалт (gvalt) and Ukrainian ґвалт (gvalt).

Pronunciation

• ґвалт: IPA^(key): [ɡvaɫt]

• Audio:

  (file)

• гвалт: IPA^(key): [ɣvaɫt]
• Rhymes: -aɫt
• Hyphenation: гвалт

Noun

гвалт • (hvalt) m inan (genitive гва́лту, nominative plural гва́лты, genitive plural гва́лтаў)

1. violence (physical action which causes destruction, harm, pain, or suffering)

   Synonym: насі́лле (nasíllje)

   • 1907 [1897], Edward Bellamy, translated by Аляксандр Уласаў, Kazka ab wadzie, page 10, translation of The Parable of the Water-Tank:

     Narod jašče bolej zawarušyŭsia, — za małym što gwałtam nie aparažniŭ bočku.

     [original: [...] the people be still, but raged the more, and crowded upon the tank as if they would take it by force [...]]

     The people became even more agitated—they were on the verge of resorting to violence to empty the barrel.

2. abuse, oppression (an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom)

   Synonyms: здзе́к (zdzjék), прыгнёт (pryhnjót), уці́ск (ucísk)

3. coercion (use of physical or moral force to compel a person to do something)

   Synonym: прыму́с (prymús)

   • 1932, Платон Галавач, Спалох на загонах, Minsk: ДВБ, page 160:

     Гэтая ўлада цяпер заганяе гвалтам селяніна ў колгасы, дзе яго пазбаўляюць усяе маемасьці і робяць простым сваім парабкам.

     Hetaja wlada cjapjer zahanjaje hvaltam sjeljanina w kólhasy, dzje jahó pazbawljajucʹ usjaje majemasʹci i róbjacʹ próstym svaim parabkam.

     This government now uses coercion to drive peasants into collective farms, where they are stripped of all their possessions and turned into mere serfs.

4. hoot, uproar (a loud commotion, protest, or controversy)

   Synonyms: крык (kryk), ля́мант (ljámant), шум (šum)

   • 1928 [1882], Mark Twain, translated by Makar Kraŭcoŭ, Прынц і жабрак, Wilno: Drukarnia „Wydawnictwo Wileńskie“ B. Kleckina, page 145, translation of The Prince and the Pauper:

     У тую-ж мінуту жанчына падняла крык і гвалт; яна і не заўважыла, як выкралі яе ношу, але хутка схамянулася, пачуўшы, што кошык зрабіўся лягчэйшым.

     U tuju-ž minutu žančyna padnjala kryk i hvalt; jana i nje zawvažyla, jak vykrali jaje nóšu, alje xutka sxamjanulasja, pačuwšy, što kóšyk zrabiwsja ljahčejšym.

     [original: The hue and cry was raised in a moment, by the woman, who knew her loss by the lightening of her burden, although she had not seen the pilfering done.]

Inflection

Declension of гвалт (inan hard masc-form accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	гвалт hvalt	гва́лты hválty
genitive	гва́лту hváltu	гва́лтаў hváltaw
dative	гва́лту hváltu	гва́лтам hváltam
accusative	гвалт hvalt	гва́лты hválty
instrumental	гва́лтам hváltam	гва́лтамі hváltami
locative	гва́лце hválcje	гва́лтах hváltax
count form	—	гва́лты1 hválty1

¹Used with the numbers 2, 3, 4 and higher numbers after 20 ending in 2, 3, and 4.

Interjection

гвалт! • (hvalt!)

1. help! (a cry of distress or an urgent request for assistance)
   • 1912, Jakub Kołas, “Rodnyje zjawy”, in Zbornik «Našaj Niwy», number 2, Vilnius: Drukarnia M. Kuchty, page 73:

     — Bože-ž moj! utapi i-iŭsia! Hwałt, ludzi, ratujcie!

     "Oh my God! He has su-u-unk! Help, people, rescue him!"

References

• Bulyka, A. M., editor (1996), “кгвалтъ”, in Гістарычны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Historical Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), numbers 15 (катъ – коречный), Minsk: Belaruskaia navuka, →ISBN, page 39
• “гвалт” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org
• "гвалт" in Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984) at Verbum

Russian

Etymology

Polish gwałt, from Middle High German gewalt (“strength, power”) (whence also German Gewalt). Further from Proto-Germanic *ga- + Proto-Germanic *waldą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡvaɫt]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

гвалт • (gvalt) m inan (genitive гва́лта, uncountable)

1. (colloquial) din, row, rumpus, hubbub, racket (loud noise, commotion)
   • 1846, Фёдор Достоевский [Fyodor Dostoevsky], “Апреля 8.”, in Бедные люди; English translation from Constance Garnett, transl., Poor People, 1914:

     Ну, в каку́ю же я трущо́бу попа́л, Варва́ра Алексе́евна! Ну, уж кварти́ра! Пре́жде ведь я жил таки́м глухарём, са́ми зна́ете: сми́рно, ти́хо; у меня́, быва́ло, му́ха лети́т, так и му́ху слы́шно. А здесь шум, крик, гвалт!

     Nu, v kakúju že ja truščóbu popál, Varvára Alekséjevna! Nu, už kvartíra! Préžde vedʹ ja žil takím gluxarjóm, sámi znájete: smírno, tíxo; u menjá, byválo, múxa letít, tak i múxu slýšno. A zdesʹ šum, krik, gvalt!

     Well, what a hole I have got into, Varvara Alexyevna! It is a lodging! I used to live like a bird in the woods, as you know yourself—it was so quiet and still that if a fly flew across the room you could hear it. Here it is all noise, shouting, uproar!

   • 1925, Михаил Булгаков [Mikhail Bulgakov], “Глава 14”, in Белая гвардия; English translation from Michael Glenny, transl., The White Guard, London: Collins and Harvill Press, 1971:

     Стра́шный гвалт подня́лся за зелёным столо́м, и языки́ на свеча́х закача́лись.

     Strášnyj gvalt podnjálsja za zeljónym stolóm, i jazykí na svečáx zakačálisʹ.

     A terrible noise broke out over the green table and the candle-flames stuttered.

Declension

Declension of гвалт (inan sg-only masc-form hard-stem accent-a) 

	singular
nominative	гва́лт gvált
genitive	гва́лта gválta
dative	гва́лту gváltu
accusative	гва́лт gvált
instrumental	гва́лтом gváltom
prepositional	гва́лте gválte

Further reading

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882), “гвалт”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.