This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Donald Trump has repeated (ad nauseam) that Vladimir Putin called him "brilliant." I don't know who translated this for Trump, but there is much, as they say, lost in the translation. The Russian word that Putin used to describe Trump was "yarkii" a word that can be translated as "bright" but is a word used to describe a quality of light, like a light bulb that emits a strong, even blinding light.

The word can also be used to refer to a voice that is loud and piercing. "Yarkii" can also be used metaphorically to describe a person who creates a strong impression on others through his/her expressiveness. Basically, Putin then, described Trump not as intelligent but rather as a flamboyant, even showy individual.

Thus by painting him as a showman, Putin captured Trump's essence as a reality-show TV persona.

Gene Fitzgerald

Salt Lake City