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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

оброк подушный

English translation: head tax

22:08 Jun 4, 2016
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Russian term or phrase: оброк подушный
I know what оброк is but подушный?

From a 19th century short story describing an interaction between a Gypsy and a village resident.

"Подай милостиньки, Христа ради", говорила она с резким ударением своим на каждом слове: "и богат будешь, и хорош, и дети будут большие... подай, добра паня, оброк подушный платить, вот у неё" - указывая на молодую - "два маленьки близнятка..."

Thanks in advance.
Deborah Hoffman
Local time: 16:20
English translation:head tax
Explanation:
Since оброк is broader, I believe that specifying "подушный" makes it like "подушная подать", which Pushkarev's Dictionary of Russian Historical Terms</i]>equates with "soul tax" or "poll tax." But since "soul tax" sounds so weird in English, it might require a footnote; and "poll tax" evokes voter-registration issues in the USA. Therefore I'd opt for the more generic "head tax."

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Note added at 41 mins (2016-06-04 22:50:05 GMT)
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Phooey. Some day I'll figure out how to do italics in this system. The only thing I meant to italicize was the title of that dictionary.
Selected response from:

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 16:20
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4head tax
Rachel Douglas


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
head tax


Explanation:
Since оброк is broader, I believe that specifying "подушный" makes it like "подушная подать", which Pushkarev's Dictionary of Russian Historical Terms</i]>equates with "soul tax" or "poll tax." But since "soul tax" sounds so weird in English, it might require a footnote; and "poll tax" evokes voter-registration issues in the USA. Therefore I'd opt for the more generic "head tax."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 41 mins (2016-06-04 22:50:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Phooey. Some day I'll figure out how to do italics in this system. The only thing I meant to italicize was the title of that dictionary.

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 16:20
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 220
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alexander Kayumov
20 mins
  -> Thanks, Alexander.
agree  Tatiana Grehan
59 mins
  -> Thanks, Tatiana.
neutral  beermatt: While your explanation of the formal meaning is certainly accurate, I think this needs an approach "outside the box". The "gypsy" obviously speaks some weird, incorrect, broken form of Russian, and she means that everybody should contribute (to her).
1 hr
  -> For whatever reason, the author has the gypsy use the terminus technicus "оброк подушный", rather than, say, "Дай, дай, дай копеечку" like Николка железный колпак. I don't know why, but I'm sure Deborah will translate it in the right register.
agree  Oleksiy Markunin
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Oleksiy.
agree  The Misha: There's nothing "weird, incorrect, broken" about podushnyi obrok that would require anything out of the box (except a donut, perhaps:)).
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Misha.
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