#36 Russian Words Born from the Internet

ла́йкать, гу́глить, and стри́мить are Russian words formed from English words such as like, Google, and stream.

The spread of these words is closely connected to the growth of the internet. Whenever new services and forms of communication appear, such as social media, video streaming, and online gaming, new words are also needed to describe actions and concepts that did not previously exist.

More importantly, these words provide valuable examples of how modern Russian absorbs new cultural influences and continues to change.

In this article, I will introduce Russian words that emerged or became widely used with the spread of the internet, explaining their meanings, origins, and usage.

1. The Internet Has Created New Words in Russian

As the internet has become widespread, many new words have been needed to describe services, activities, and forms of communication that did not previously exist.

The same process has taken place in Russian. As posting on social media, video streaming, online gaming, and messaging have become part of everyday life, new vocabulary associated with these activities has also come into use.

One particularly noticeable feature is the large number of borrowings from English. Since many internet- and computer-related technologies and services developed primarily in English-speaking environments, Russian has adopted numerous words of English origin.

However, English words are not always used in their original form. They are often written in Cyrillic or given Russian endings so that they fit more naturally into Russian grammar.

For example, лайк, meaning “like” on social media, comes from the English word like. From this noun, the verb ла́йкать, meaning “to like” a post or piece of content, was formed.

In other words, a word borrowed from English can develop according to Russian word-formation patterns, as in: like → лайк → ла́йкать

Similarly, the English word stream gave rise to стрим, meaning “stream” or “live stream,” and from this noun came the verb стри́мить, meaning “to stream.” The verb репо́стить, meaning “to repost,” was likewise formed from репо́ст, which comes from the English word repost.

Words like these often begin within particular online communities or among younger speakers, then spread through social media and video platforms and eventually enter more general conversation.

At the same time, internet vocabulary changes rapidly. Some words become widely established, while others are only temporarily fashionable and later fall out of use.

2. Many Internet Terms Come from English

Because many technologies and services associated with modern internet culture spread globally from English-speaking countries, Russian internet vocabulary contains a large number of expressions of English origin.

Examples include:

• лайк — like
• пост — post
• блог — blog
• бло́гер — blogger
• стрим — live stream / stream
• стри́мер — streamer
• чат — chat
• мем — meme
• спам — spam
• бан — ban, account suspension, or restriction

When English-derived words become established in Russian, they are often written in Cyrillic in a form that approximates their English pronunciation.

Because the relationship between the English and Russian forms is often easy to recognize, you may be able to guess the meanings of many of these words if you already know English.

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3. Russian Verbs Formed from Loanwords

One distinctive feature of Russian internet vocabulary is that new verbs are often created from words borrowed from English and other languages.

For example, the verb ла́йкать comes from the English word like and is used to mean “to like” something on social media.

Other verbs that developed from internet-related vocabulary include:

• гу́глить 
  — to search for something online using Google or another search engine
• ба́нить 
  — to ban a user or restrict their access or activity
• репо́стить 
  — to repost content on social media
• спа́мить 
  — to send large amounts of unwanted messages or content
• стри́мить 
  — to stream videos, games, or other content online
• тро́ллить 
  — to provoke or mock someone online

These verbs are formed by adapting foreign stems to Russian pronunciation and spelling and incorporating them into Russian verb patterns, often with endings involving -ать or -ить.

Like other Russian verbs, they also change according to person, tense, and other grammatical categories.

For example, гу́глить (to search online) can be used as follows:

• Я гу́глю э́то сло́во.
  — I am searching for this word online.
• Он гу́глил э́ту информа́цию.
  — He was searching for this information online.

In this way, loanwords introduced through the internet become incorporated into Russian grammar and begin functioning as part of the language’s vocabulary.

4. Internet Expressions That Developed within the Russian-Speaking World

Russian internet culture includes not only words borrowed directly from English but also expressions that developed their own particular meanings and uses within the Russian-speaking internet.

One example is пруф, together with its plural form пру́фы.

This expression comes from the English word proof and is used online to mean “evidence” or “supporting information.” For example, it may be used when someone asks another person to provide evidence for a claim made on social media or an online forum.

There is also the expression пруфли́нк, which combines the English words proof and link. It refers to a web link that provides evidence or a source supporting a claim.

Russian internet culture has also produced expressions by shortening existing Russian words or deliberately altering their spelling.

This was especially common in the 2000s, when a distinctive form of internet slang based on intentionally incorrect spelling became popular.

A well-known example is преве́д. This is an intentionally distorted form of the standard Russian greeting приве́т(hello) and became one of the expressions associated with Russian internet culture of that period.

However, internet slang is strongly influenced by trends. Expressions that were once used frequently may now be much less common or may sound outdated.

5. Points to Keep in Mind When Using Internet Vocabulary

Many words that originated on the internet are used primarily in casual contexts such as everyday conversation, social media, and online games.

However, you should be careful when using these expressions in school assignments, workplace documents, or other formal writing.

For example, expressions such as гу́глить (to search online) and ла́йкать (to like) sound natural in conversations with friends or on social media.

In formal reports or academic papers, however, it is usually more appropriate to choose a more neutral expression such as иска́ть в интерне́те (to search on the internet).

These expressions may also be difficult to understand for people who are not familiar with internet culture. In professional or official contexts, you may not know the other person’s age, position, or familiarity with online terminology, so choosing more general vocabulary is often safer.

Of course, this does not mean that every word originating from the internet is inappropriate. Some internet expressions become widely used and eventually establish themselves as part of general vocabulary.

The important point is to understand how widely established each word is and in what situations and with what kinds of people it is normally used.

When learning Russian, I recommend paying attention not only to the dictionary meaning of a word but also to its context and nuance. This will help you choose more appropriate expressions in different situations.

6. Summary

The spread of the internet has introduced a wide range of new words and expressions into Russian.

The main characteristics can be summarized as follows:

Languages constantly change along with society and culture. The internet, in particular, plays a major role in spreading linguistic change around the world within a very short period of time.

By learning Russian words that emerged from internet culture, you can gain a closer view of changes in modern Russian that may be difficult to notice through dictionaries and textbooks alone.

Yuri Miyajima

Writer

I’m a Japanese writer with a deep interest in Russia. Through my articles, I explore a wide range of topics related to the country, including its culture, history, traditions, food, everyday life, and language.