Book: Zoo, or Letters Not About Love

Quote Explanation: Eleventh letter. [Shibboleth, shibboleth (“ear” or “flow”) is a biblical expression, figuratively denoting a characteristic speech feature by which a group of people (in particular, an ethnic group) can be identified, a kind of “speech password” that unconsciously gives out a person, for whose language is non-native. Since the 20th century, Ukrainians have been using the word “palyanytsya” as a shibboleth in relation to Russians (it reads [palyanytsya], a round loaf of bread). Despite the apparent simplicity of the word, a person who is accustomed to the phonetics and alphabet of the Russian language automatically pronounces it with an accent noticeable to the Ukrainian ear (usually pronouncing [palyanitsa]), and regardless of whether he read it or tries to reproduce it by ear.]