собственно говоря

• СОБСТВЕННО ГОВОРЯ{{}}

[Invar; fixed WO]

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1. [sent adv (parenth)]

⇒ (used in conjunction with a statement that specifies the situation, provides a more precise phrasing of sth. stated earlier etc) in reality, in truth:

- actually;

- after all;

- strictly speaking;

- in fact;

- as a matter of fact.

     ♦ Собственно говоря, именно Октябрь и привил ему начальную тягу ко всякого рода машинам... (Аксёнов 12). It was actually October who infected him with a passion for ail sorts of machinery... (12a).

     ♦ ...Почему он [Сталин] созвал совещание секретарей райкомов только Западной Грузии, дядя Сандро так и не понял. По-видимому, секретари райкомов Восточной Грузии в чем-то провинились... Так думал дядя Сандро, напрягая свой любознательный ум, хотя это, собственно говоря, не входило в его обязанности коменданта Цика... (Искандер 3). ...Why he [Stalin] had called a conference of the secretaries of the district committees of only western Georgia, Uncle Sandro simply could not understand. Apparently the district committee secretaries of eastern Georgia had committed some offense. ...Or so thought Uncle Sandro, exerting his inquisitive mind-although strictly speaking this was not within his purview as superintendent at the CEC... (3a).

     ♦ Мне было горько, что меня не приняли в комсомол. Но я не только убеждена была, что так и надо, но даже и вопросов не задавала, а почему, собственно говоря, так надо? (Орлова 1). I was miserable because I had not been accepted into the Komsomol. But not only was I convinced that that was the way it should have been, I did not even ask any questions, such as why in fact should it have been like that? (1a).

2. [used as Particle with interrog and relative pronouns, adverbs etc]

⇒ used to emphasize, draw attention to some word or phrase:

- exactly;

- precisely;

- just.

     ♦ "Почему же, собственно говоря, вы себя выдаёте за папу товарища Сталина?" - "Потому что я и есть папа товарища Сталина. Мой сын, товарищ Зиновий Сталин, самый известный в Гомеле зубной техник". - "Вот оно что!" (Войнович 2). "...Just why are you trying to pass yourself off as Comrade Stalin's papa?" "Because I am the father of Comrade Stalin. My son, Comrade Zinovy Stalin, is the most-well-known dental technician in Gomel." "So that's it!" (2a).