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Коронование, Малява, ксива

English translation: Use transiteration (ksiva, etc.) with footnotes

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:Коронование, Малява, ксива
English translation: Use transiteration (ksiva, etc.) with footnotes
Entered by: mk_lab

00:27 May 21, 2002
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang / Thieve's Cant
Russian term or phrase: Коронование, Малява, ксива
These three terms are from a table of "criminal institutions" in which criminals might be involved in or out of prison. Among others in the table are Татуировка (tatoos), Вор в законе (thief's honor code)and Общак (a slang term meaning a general fund for supporting imprisoned criminals and their familes).
Roy Cochrun
United States
Local time: 17:32
Use transiteration (ksiva, etc.) with footnotes
Explanation:
I guess and sure that there no equal words (fruity, short...)in English.

It's better to look for specialists in this lexicon in another forum (f.e. in American prison).

Use transiteration (ksiva, etc.) with footnotes (proposed above).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 10:46:40 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Only \"Коронование\" could be really translated as \"Initiation\" like GaryG proposed.
Selected response from:

mk_lab
Ukraine
Local time: 00:32
Grading comment
Everyone helped on this one, thank you all! I have decided to use transliterated terms for all but Коронование. I already have done that for общак and a couple others in this paper.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +9a reference in support of "initiation"
Dell (X)
4 +5Initiation
GaryG
5 +3Explanations
Vladimir Pochinov
4 +3Passport = ксива, and a note / letter = малява
protolmach
4 +2being made, a letter passed into/out of prison, papers (any kind of ID)
Michael Tovbin
4coded note
GaryG
4Use transiteration (ksiva, etc.) with footnotes
mk_lab


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Passport = ксива, and a note / letter = малява


Explanation:
Not sure about коронование.
Hope it helps at least to some extent!

protolmach
United States
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  GaryG: Per "Soviet Prison Camp Speech" ksiva is "a forged or stolen document,passport" or "a secret note"
17 mins
  -> OK
agree  Dell (X): ксива = passport, document
52 mins
  -> thank you
agree  Vladimir Dubisskiy: and Gary's "initiation"
1 hr
  -> thank you, also agree with Gary
agree  AYP
4 hrs
agree  Сергей Лузан: Not a "a secret note", but in the rest - agree with GaryG's definitions.
9 hrs
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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
being made, a letter passed into/out of prison, papers (any kind of ID)


Explanation:
These words are prison slang. The closest I can come to "Вор в законе" is "a made man". "Коронование" is being made "Вор в законе". There are various connotations to both "Вор в законе" and "a made man". "Вор в законе" is not allowed to work under any circumstances (in Russian labor camps) and lives by a code of honor. "A made man" is a full member of a criminal organization that cannot be killed without permission from the leader of that organization.

I hope this is enough info. Or, more likely, more than you need.

Michael Tovbin
United States
Local time: 16:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tatiana Neroni (X)
2 hrs
agree  Сергей Лузан: Интересное дополнение.
9 hrs
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Initiation


Explanation:
Коронование is "initiation" (into the criminal world) per a US govt glossary.

BTW, I meant to put "neutral" not "disagree" above.

GaryG
Local time: 17:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dell (X)
39 mins
agree  protolmach: коронование = initiation только для "вора в законе"
1 hr
agree  xeni (X)
2 hrs
neutral  Michael Tovbin: initiation is good for the rank and file. Коронование happens after you are initiated. It is elevation to a higher status.
2 hrs
agree  Olga Simon: And with the coded note too.
5 hrs
agree  Сергей Лузан: with protolmach коронование = initiation только для "вора в законе"
8 hrs
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
coded note


Explanation:
Per a US govt glossary Малява is "note written in code used by criminals"

GaryG
Local time: 17:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Victor Yatsishin: It might be not coded, this is a secret note sent from an imprisoned person to the criminals outside the prison.
7 hrs
neutral  Сергей Лузан: with Victor Yatsishin. From into as well as the other way, I must add.
8 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
a reference in support of "initiation"


Explanation:
обряд приёма в 'масть' 'законных воров' - так называемое 'коронование' ('крещение');
whoiswho.ru/russian/Curnom/12002/um.htm
(this article contains some further info regarding the criminal code, BTW)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 01:35:50 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

(I meant criminal code of honor, of course)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 01:40:34 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Таким образом, если “малява” (так заключенные называют свои тюремные записки)
www.aferizm.ru/criminal/imperia/i_doroga.htm
(this one is about \"тюремный телеграф\")

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 01:45:56 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And here the \"ksiva\" thing (I am working as a reference supplier today :-)
Например, знаменитое воровское слово \"ксива\" (любой документ, удостоверяющий личность) пошло от еврейского корня из трех согласных К\\Х-Т-Б - означающего письмо и глагол писать. А более конкретно - \"ксива\" есть не что иное, как попавшее в совершенно другую языковую среду ивритское слово \"ктуба\" (брачный контракт, документ), потому что еврейские биндюжники, так называемые \"балагуры\" - хотя, на самом деле, правильно \"балагуЛы\" (это не значит - рассказчики занятных историй, \"баал а-гала\" - хозяин повозки, извозчик), говорили на этом языке, чтобы скрыть смысл каких-то речей от окружающих, если разговор евреев был не для жругих ушей...
www.jewish.ru/8649.asp

Dell (X)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  protolmach: очень интересно, спасибо, даже не думала, что здесь такие глубокие корни
24 mins
agree  Tatiana Neroni (X)
1 hr
agree  AYP
3 hrs
agree  Zoya ayoz (X)
3 hrs
agree  IgorD
4 hrs
agree  Olga Simon: Очень интересно, спасибо.
4 hrs
agree  Olga Demiryurek
5 hrs
agree  Victor Yatsishin: Very good
6 hrs
agree  Сергей Лузан: Весьма интересно, спасибо.
8 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Explanations


Explanation:
Here are some comments regarding this topic.

Коронование
It's a process when existing Russian criminal bosses ("законные воры") get together ("воровской сход") to admit a well-respected criminal to their community, upon a recommendation. They discuss the previous behavior of the candidate, ask various questions, etc. Recently, it became possible to "buy" this title, however the "buyer" would not be that respected (the derogatory term for such persons is "(скороспелый) апельсин" since many of them can be from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia).

Малява
A note or letter, especially of a personal nature.

Ксива
1. Any identification (e.g. passport), escpecially a forged one. => ID, papers
2. A note or letter; unlike "малява" it generally provides some information, guidelines or instructions to other criminals inside or outside a prison(syn. "постановочное письмо")

Вор в законе
It's not a "thief's honor code". It's one of the most respected persons in the Russian criminal underworld's hierarchy. Generally, each of them is responsible for criminal community in some city, region, etc. I believe the closest term could be "a made man", or "a capo", like for Italian mafia bosses. The Russian law enforcement officers estimate there are about 500-600 of such top-notch professional criminals in Russia. Interestingly, they would never call themselves "воры в законе"; instead they use such words as "законник", "законный вор" or just "вор".

So here we are:

коронование = "coronation" (you will need to provide an explanation)
малява = (personal) note or letter
ксива = 1) papers, ID 2) note or letter with information OR instructions
вор в законе = a made man; a capo

P.S. If interested, please contact me, I can send you my own dictionary of the Russian criminal slang (regretfully, it's monolingual). It's available as a text file or a Lingvo user-compiled dictionary.

Vladimir Pochinov
Russian Federation
Local time: 23:32
Native speaker of: Russian
PRO pts in category: 26

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Olga Demiryurek
33 mins
agree  Victor Yatsishin
1 hr
agree  Сергей Лузан: Excellently, that's it, thanx a lot.
3 hrs
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Use transiteration (ksiva, etc.) with footnotes


Explanation:
I guess and sure that there no equal words (fruity, short...)in English.

It's better to look for specialists in this lexicon in another forum (f.e. in American prison).

Use transiteration (ksiva, etc.) with footnotes (proposed above).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 10:46:40 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Only \"Коронование\" could be really translated as \"Initiation\" like GaryG proposed.

mk_lab
Ukraine
Local time: 00:32
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 6
Grading comment
Everyone helped on this one, thank you all! I have decided to use transliterated terms for all but Коронование. I already have done that for общак and a couple others in this paper.
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