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A UKRAINIAN DICTIONARY OF WAR | Lost Horse Press
ISBN: 979-8-9890965-9-6 Pub Date: Oct. 2024 Pages: 238 By Ostap Slyvynsky Grace Mahoney and Taras Malkovych, translators What happens to language during war? Does it become superfluous to actions? Is it twisted? Broken? Lost? In A Ukrainian Dictionary of War, poet Ostap Slyvynsky undertakes the role of wartime lexicographer to carefully collect and compile a dictionary of witness to Russia’s invasion and war against Ukraine. In wartime, even the meaning of simple words canchange, expand, contract, acquire new resonances and sounds. A Ukrainian Dictionary of War began with the fragments of experiences spoken in the new language of wartime and became a way to document a nation’s shared losses, pain, and belief in victory. Among the voices represented in A Ukrainian Dictionary of War are those who were forced to leave their homes and venture into the unknown, aid volunteers, medics, soldiers, social activists, and artists. Presented in a dual-language format, this volume showcases the Ukrainian language, its alphabet, and a myriad of voices connected by the experience of war. Part of the Russian Federation’s attack on Ukraine is an attack on its language. Despite efforts to the contrary, Ukrainian has grown in recognition and use, which this dictionary further extends to interested readers.
