ерунда

Russian

Etymology

Possibly from Latin gerundium (whence also геру́ндий (gerúndij)) (rejected by Chernykh). German hier und da proposed as an etymon in Leskov's story is dismissed by Anikin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [(j)ɪrʊnˈda]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

ерунда́ • (jerundá) f inan (genitive ерунды́, uncountable, relational adjective ерундо́вый)

1. (colloquial, sometimes derogatory) nonsense, rubbish
2. trifle

Declension

Declension of ерунда́ (inan sg-only fem-form hard-stem accent-b) 

	singular
nominative	ерунда́ jerundá
genitive	ерунды́ jerundý
dative	ерунде́ jerundé
accusative	ерунду́ jerundú
instrumental	ерундо́й, ерундо́ю jerundój, jerundóju
prepositional	ерунде́ jerundé

Synonyms

• чепуха (čepuxa)
• чушь (čušʹ)
• вздор (vzdor)
• бессмыслица (bessmyslica)
• глупости (gluposti)
• нонсенс (nonsens)
• абсурд (absurd)
• нелепость (nelepostʹ)
• бред (bred)

Derived terms

• ерунди́ть impf (jerundítʹ)
• ерунди́стика f (jerundístika)
• ерундо́вина f (jerundóvina)

References

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), “ерунда”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1999), “ерунда”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 3rd edition, volume 1 (а – пантомима), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 286
• Shansky, N. M., editor (1973), “ерунда”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), volume 1, number 5 (Д, Е, Ж), Moscow: Moscow University Press, page 263
• Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), “ерунда”, in Этимологический словарь современного русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Contemporary Russian Language] (in Russian), volumes 1: (А – Начальство), Moscow: Flinta; Nauka, →ISBN, page 257
• Anikin, A. E. (2022), “ерунда I”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 16 (ерепениться – житьё), Moscow: Russian Language Institute, →ISBN, page 44

Further reading

• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882), “ерунда”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.
• Dal, Vladimir (1880–1882), “еранда”, in Толковый Словарь живаго великорускаго языка [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language] (in Russian), 2nd edition, Publication of the bookseller-typographer Wolf, M. O.