# Батарейка / аккумулятор



## cablino

Как правильно переводить слово "Battery". В настройках на Айфоне раньше было слово 'Баттерейка'. Сейчас, после обновления iOS 8, в таком-же месте настройках есть другое слово 'аккумулятор'. Я хочу знать, как правильно на русском называть эту вещу. 

How can I correctly translate the word "Battery". In the settings on iPhone, there used to be the word  'Баттерейка'. Now, after the update iOS 8, the same place in settings has a different word -  'аккумулятор'. I would like to know how to correctly call this thing in Russian. 

(По-моему я по-русский всегда сделаю немного ошибок, но уверено что все в смысле. Если не так я тоже напишу вопрос на моем родном.)

(In my opinion I always make some mistakes in Russian, but I am confident everything makes sense. If this is not the case I have also written my question in my native language. ) 

Спасибо заранее.
Thanks in advance.

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## Drink

cablino said:


> Как правильно пере*вести* слово "Battery". В настройках на Айфоне раньше было слово 'Баттерейка'. Сейчас, после обновления iOS 8, в *том*-же месте *в* настройках есть другое слово 'аккумулятор'. Я хочу *у*знать, как правильно на русском называть эту вещ*ь*.
> 
> How can I correctly translate the word "Battery". In the settings on iPhone, there used to be the word  'Баттерейка'. Now, after the update iOS 8, the same place in settings has a different word -  'аккумулятор'. I would like to know how to correctly call this thing in Russian.
> 
> (По-моему я по-русский всегда *делаю* немного ошибок, но *на*верено что все *понятно*. Если не так я тоже напишу вопрос на моем родном тоже.)
> 
> (In my opinion I always make some mistakes in Russian, but I am confident everything makes sense. If this is not the case I have also written my question in my native language. )
> 
> Спасибо заранее.
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> ----



The correct spelling of the word you are referring to is "батарейка", but this diminutive usually refers to small removable batteries (like AA, etc.). It would be better to use the non-diminutive form "батарея".

The word "аккумулятор" does not strictly refer to a "battery", but to any "accumulator" of charge. In the case of an iPhone, you can use it, but be aware of the slightly different meaning.


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## DrDIT

Russian makes a clear distinction between a rechargeable battery (аккумулятор) and a disposable, sinlge-use battery (батарейка). What is used in smartphones (and cars, by the way) is called аккумулятор only. What is used in wrist watches, electric torches, toys, etc. is батарейка. English does not make such a distinction and the word "battery" may mean both, that leads to confusion. Every time I translate a text with the word "battery" in it, I have to do extra research to find out whether it is rechargeable or not.


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## Drink

DrDIT said:


> Russian makes a clear distinction between a rechargeable battery (аккумулятор) and a disposable, sinlge-use battery (батарейка). What is used in smartphones (and cars, by the way) is called аккумулятор only. What is used in wrist watches, electric torches, toys, etc. is батарейка. English does not make such a distinction and the word "battery" may mean both, that leads to confusion. Every time I translate a text with the word "battery" in it, I have to do extra research to find out whether it is rechargeable or not.



Then what would you call these, for example? (The link points to an image of Duracell rechargeable AA batteries.)


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## DrDIT

These are аккумуляторы for sure. Size does not matter; if it is rechargeable, it is аккумулятор. In an electronics store you may ask for "батарейка АА" or "аккумулятор АА" (like the one you mentioned). Also as to mobile phones the common way is "у меня садится аккумулятор", for example. Never heard anyone referring to it as батарея.


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## Drink

DrDIT said:


> These are аккумуляторы for sure. Size does not matter; if it is rechargeable, it is аккумулятор. In an electronics store you may ask for "батарейка АА" or "аккумулятор АА" (like the one you mentioned). Also as to mobile phones the common way is "у меня садится аккумулятор", for example. Never heard anyone referring to it as батарея.



But still isn't an аккумулятор just a type of батарея ("аккумуляторная батарея")?


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## DrDIT

Аккумуляторная батарея is an "official" name for electric аккумулятор (this term is mostly used in car manuals, for example, and is hardly used in live speech). In this case батарея specifies that the accumulator is an electric one (there are also thermal, mechanical, and many other less common types of accumulators we rarely see in everyday life).


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## Drink

DrDIT said:


> Аккумуляторная батарея is an "official" name for electric аккумулятор (this term is mostly used in car manuals, for example, and is hardly used in live speech). In this case батарея specifies that the accumulator is an electric one (there are also thermal, mechanical, and many other less common types of accumulators we rarely see in everyday life).



So you would say that this is just a bad translation? (Link points to iPad guide section titled "Батарея не заряжается".)


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## DrDIT

It looks wrong to me (besides as an engineer and I'm used to clear, well-defined terms). Well, I have seen more severe translation errors, and my experience shows that Apple does care much about terminology and quality of translations (in contrast to Microsoft).


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## discipulus11

It depends on what you mean: a term used in everyday speach or an exact technical term. For the letter you should look into national standards, e.g. GOST 15596 "Current generator cells. Terms and definitions". Strictly speaking as it's an instruction manual the translator should have used terms from national standards.


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## Drink

discipulus11 said:


> It depends on what you mean: a term used in everyday speach or an exact technical term. For the letter you should look into national standards, e.g. GOST 15596 "Current generator cells. Terms and definitions". Strictly speaking as it's an instruction manual the translator should have used terms from national standards.



So, which term is used as the technical term and which one is used in everyday speech?


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## DrDIT

discipulus11 is perfectly right. Russian engineering terminology is not arbitrary but clearly defined in an extensive system of the GOST national standards. These standards are widely known and taught in every college and university. GOST 15596 says:

аккумулятор - rechargeable battery
аккумуляторная батарея - several electrically connected аккумуляторы (an addition to what I said above: not only electric, but also a set on connected аккумуляторов just like a lead-acid car battery)

The absence of similar standard and commonly accepted definitions of engineering terms in English has always surprised me.


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## Drink

DrDIT said:


> The absence of similar standard and commonly accepted definitions of engineering terms in English has always surprised me.



The English language does not have a government and thus cannot have any "государственный стандарт".


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## bibax

DrDIT said:


> English does not make such a distinction and the word "battery" may mean both, that leads to confusion. Every time I translate a text with the word "battery" in it, I have to do extra research to find out whether it is rechargeable or not.


Strictly speaking *"battery"* is an array of elements/cells (e.g. artillery battery). Thus _"пальчиковая батарейка"_ is no battery, it is one galvanic cell (гальванический элемент). If a (new) "battery" gives 1.5 V, it isn't a real battery.

Distinguishing battery vs. accumulator has no sense. The correct precise terminology is:

galvanic cell - battery of galvanic cells (in series)
accumulator cell - battery of accumulator cells (in series)


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## Maroseika

DrDIT said:


> GOST 15596 says:
> 
> аккумулятор - rechargeable battery



That's right, but the same standard says that a battery consists of two or more galvanic elements, and the latter is intended for *a single or multiple discharge.*
On the other hand, accumulator is defined not just a rechargeable battery, but as a battery *recharged by force of electric current.*
Thus, tehcnically, accumulator is just a kind of a galvanic element and accumulator battery is a kind of galvanic battery.

However in everyday speech, *батарея is* *non-rechargeable* device and *аккумулятор is* *rechargeable*.


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## Miralasa

No one use 'аккумулятор' in speech, except it is a car accumulator. Any rechargeable power source for gadgets is called 'батарея' regardless of its actual structure.


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## bibax

Miralasa said:


> No one use 'аккумулятор' in speech, except it is a car accumulator. Any rechargeable power source for gadgets is called 'батарея' regardless of its actual structure.


It makes sense. Historically, the voltage of one cell (be it rechargeable or not) was too low for most electrical devices. Mostly you needed a *батарея* *элементов* (battery of single cells). From my childhood I remember the 4.5 V ("plochá", «плоская») and 9 V batteries, not used anymore.

Nowadays the cells with a voltage of 3 volts are commonly available (lithium cell, литиевый элемент). So no one needs to have a battery of cells in his/her mobile phone.

This article strictly distinguishes between *элемент* and *батарея элементов*. However it is a specialized article, narrowly focused on battery/cells types.


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## Sobakus

Miralasa said:


> No one use 'аккумулятор' in speech, except it is a car accumulator. Any rechargeable power source for gadgets is called 'батарея' regardless of its actual structure.



In my experience, while subjectively internal batteries that are recharged inside the device are often just called _батарея_ (mostly because they're often translated this way in the device's software), any removable rechargeable battery (AA, for example) is invariably called _аккумулятор_. I agree with *DrDIT* that this distinction is very clear.
Also note that in English it's _car battery._


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