Слово «товарищ» - это одно из самых часто used nouns of the Russian language. However, in the last hundred years, several additional ones have been added to its basic meaning. What are they and what is the difference between the words "comrade", "friend" and "citizen"?
In the vast expanses of ancient Russia for a long time appeared the noun "friend". This name originated from the Turkic word tavar, which translates "goods" (sometimes cattle or other property).
It is believed that originally comrades called merchants specializing in the trade of one type of product. However, why the etymology subsequently underwent such dramatic changes is unknown.
There is also the female form of the word “friend” - this is “companion”. In the XIX century. She was actively used in speech. However, in modern language this noun is practically not used.
Long before the 1917 revolution, comrades called people united among themselves by some kind of common occupation or working on a single cause.
This word was applicable to those studying together, traveling or fighting. In this regard, the ironic idiom "friend in misfortune" is quite common.
Despite the fact that in connection with the events of 1917, this word acquired a slightly different meaning, today it is again used in its traditional meaning.
Both of these nouns are synonymous, but there is a very significant difference between them.
Friends are people who are close to each other.relations built on sympathy, mutual understanding, unselfishness and trust. Often they live near or study, sometimes they work. However, these factors are not fundamental, since sometimes true friends dwell not just in different cities, but also on separate continents.
Для дружбы не обязательна какая-либо физическая or social community, while the notion of partnership provides for it. Even the best workmate can often not be a friend. And not because he has some bad qualities, but because of the lack of spiritual closeness, despite the common cause.
In fact, the causes of friendship, as well aslove, inexplicable. And friends are often people of completely different social strata (in the Bible, for example, the friendship between King Saul’s son and David the shepherd is described).
There are often cases when, working with a person,draw close to him, and he becomes like a friend and comrade. Whether relationships have reached this level can be determined with the help of a simple vacation. If during the period of “separation,” people continue to call up, correspond and even spend time together, it means that they are united not only by companionship. By the way, Pushkin’s expression “there’s nothing to do with friends” refers more to the concept of partnership.
Another indicator of the difference between these conceptsis the presence of a noun "friend" of its own synonyms that are not applicable to the term "companion". This "twin" and "crony". In addition, in the early nineties, the name “bromance” (from English brother romance) was coined to denote the close friendships of a non-sexual nature.
С приходом к власти коммунистов и сменой political appeals in the Russian Empire were abolished such appeals as "Mr. / Madame", "Sir / Madam", "Your Honor", "Your Excellency" and others.
In order to emphasize universal equality not only on social status, but also on gender, the “comrade” appeal was introduced for everyone.
Традиция использовать это слово в качестве Appeals arose after the Great French Revolution. After the overthrow of the monarchy and the conversion of France into the republic, it became necessary to use a general appeal to all citizens in order to emphasize their equality. Originally such a word was “citizen” (citoyen), but this did not seem to be sufficiently “revolutionary” and in 1790 was replaced by camarade (comrade).
С легкой руки французов слово стало популярным в antimonarchic circles. Thus, the majority of anarchist, communist, socialist and even social democratic organizations of the XIX century. began to use it as a circulation between its members.
After the communists came to power in the Russian Empire, it acquired official status. By the way, in fascist Germany there was a similar appeal by Parteigenosse (party friend).
After the collapse of the USSR, the “comrade” appeal was gradually abolished in the CIS countries. In the Russian Federation today, instead of it, a “citizen” or “master” is used; and in Ukraine - the "giant", "pan".
Although after the French and October revolutions inFrance and Russia, the treatment of "citizen" and "comrade" have become almost synonymous, there is a significant difference between them. So, every citizen can be a comrade, but not every comrade is a citizen.
The fact is that citizens are individuals who constantlyliving in the territory of a certain state, having the right to enjoy all its benefits and obliged to perform all the functions assigned to them by law. The comrade has no such privileges, since he may be a citizen of another country.
These values became close to each other at the beginning of XXat. due to the fact that they were in use as an official appeal to the USSR. At the same time, the “comrade” was a universal appeal to both men and women, while the noun “citizen” had a feminine gender - “citizen”.
As a rudiment, this word is preserved inmilitary many countries of the CIS. Thus, in Russia, in Ukraine and in Belarus, the noun “comrade” is used as a mandatory official appeal between military personnel of all ranks. According to the charter, it is always added before the military rank - “Comrade Major”.
In addition to the two main meanings, this term had many others.
In the Russian Empire, before the revolution, deputies or assistants of officials were called comrades. It was also the name of the participants of a commercial enterprise - partnership.
Украинские казаки в XVII-XVIII вв.used the title of "military comrade", which was akin to the rank of "cornet". There was also another title - “a horse comrade”, which the hetmans honored the sons of the foremen and colonels. By the way, after the destruction of the Zaporizhzhya Sich, the descendants of bunchuk comrades received a noble title in the Russian Empire.
In Poland, in the old days they called comradeswealthy gentry who bought for their money uniforms for his retinue, consisting of impoverished nobles. Also this word was the name of a rank (ensign).
Наряду с нарицательными есть и несколько own nouns with that name. For example, the four-masted bark Lauriston, renamed the "Comrade" under the USSR. This ship was destroyed in 1943. Later, a German three-masted bark Gorch Fock, named after the USSR war, was named after him.
The title of Tovarich is a play by American playwright Robert Sherwood, written in 1935. Two years after publication, it was screened.
In 1970, composer O. Ivanov wrote the song "Comrade" ("I will fill the country with a song like a wind about how comrade went to war ...") to the words of A. Prokofiev.
In addition to trivial data sentencesnoun (“My friend from the institute went to the cinema today”), there are those who have long turned into a catch phrase. For example, a quote from the program of the Communist Party of the USSR: "Man is a friend, comrade and brother."
As for the use of this term in the form of a reference, there are several other examples. In honor of the legendary hero of the film "Prisoner of the Caucasus" was named a restaurant on the Dnieper - "Comrade Saahov."
Not a single sentence with the word "comrade" was encountered during the Soviet period on various propaganda posters. In the picture below you can see an example of one of them.
Speaking on this topic, it is impossible not to mention the cult sentence with the word “comrade” by V. I. Lenin, which today has acquired a satirical meaning.
The word itself has in all agesa positive meaning, however, due to their excessive speculation in Soviet times, today it causes very unpleasant associations for people. Will this change, time will tell.
