коверкать

Russian edit

Etymology edit

ко- (ko-) +‎ верте́ть (vertétʹ) +‎ -кать (-katʹ)

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

кове́ркать (kovérkatʹimpf (perfective искове́ркать)

  1. (colloquial) to mispronounce words and sounds
    • 1969, Булгаков, chapter 1, in Мастер и Маргарита:
      — Извините меня, пожалуйста, — заговорил подошедший с иностранным акцентом, но не коверкая слов
      — Izvinite menja, požalujsta, — zagovoril podošedšij s inostrannym akcentom, no ne koverkaja slov
      "Excuse me," began the man who had approached them. He had a foreign accent, but did not mispronounce any words
  2. (colloquial, familiar) to break, to destroy
  3. (colloquial) to recite one's opponent's speech with mistakes; to distort another's speech

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit

verbs