William Shakespeare's vocabulary has been
estimated by the experts at twelve thousand words. The vocabulary of a Negro
from the Mumbo Jumbo tribe amounts to three hundred words.
Ellochka Shchukin
managed easily and fluently on thirty. (Ilf & Petrov, "The Twelve
Chairs," Chapter XXII "Ellochka the Cannibal")
Ellochka spent the evening with Fima
Sobak. They discussed a singularly important event which threatened to
upset world economy.
"It seems they will be worn long and wide," said Fimka,
sinking her head into her shoulders like a hen.
"Gloom!"
Ellochka looked
admiringly at Fima Sobak. Mlle Sobak was reputed to be a cultured girl and
her vocabulary contained about a hundred and eighty words. One of the
words was one that Ellochka would not even have dreamed of. It was the
meaningful word "homosexuality". (ibid.)
Fima Sobak brings to mind the Tobaks (who speak only to dogs,
govoryat lish' s sobakami, 3.2) in Ada.
Sobak + t = Tobak + s = St
Koba
Koba being Stalin's nickname, one is reminded of St Alin, a
scoundrel (one of the seconds in Demon's sword duel with d'Onsky,
1.2)
Alexey Sklyarenko