The value of common expletives

Read what was originally meant such insults as "fool", "bastard" and others.

Fool

Perhaps the most common (along with the "female" version - a fool) of domestic curses. I must say that "fools" in Russia appeared relatively recently: in wide use that word entered in the second half of the XVII century with a light hand Avvakum. The leader of the Old Believers in the hearts of fans referred to as "devilish wisdom": rhetoric, philosophy, logic, etc. Interestingly, advocates of the old faith then became known as "fools" defenders correcting the liturgical books at the time of the reforms of Patriarch Nikon.
It is interesting that Habakkuk spied the word of skomorosheskoy culture: probably it was the name of one of the band of buffoons. Linguists believe that "fool" comes from the Indo-dur (bite, sting), and literally translates as "bitten", "stung". Perhaps, "the title of" the fool has been associated with the ritual of initiation into buffoons - according to one version a person must have survived the bite of a viper. By the way, on the basis of this hypothesis, saying "fool flock together", most likely originally had to do it to the buffoons. Fools, in the current semantic meaning, hardly able to identify their own kind.




Bastard

The word comes from the verb "to drag", "drag". Initially the "bastard" meant "svolochёnny anywhere trash." Then it began to carry on the concept of vagrants and other "useless people».



Brock

This is a curse we have learned from the Lithuanians, which used the term "base" for people with low-born origin. In the XVIII century the word "vile people" was the official term, which in the state document represents the so-called "irregular" citizens, not part of the middle class. As a rule, they were laborers, migrant workers from the countryside who live in the city on a semi-legal status (such as "limitchikov" of the Soviet era). Only at the end of the XVIII century the word "scoundrel", "bitch" joined Dictionary philistine intolerance.



Bastard

This word (although in the plural - "scum") existed peacefully in the Russian lexicon of several centuries, meaning only the remnants of the liquid at the bottom of the vessel. In the XIX century, with someone's light, sophisticated, hands it moved to the inhabitants of pubs, preferring to finish drinking a drop of alcohol glasses of strangers. Then, an expression of "the dregs of society": the so-called antisocial elements of the city.



Git

The exact meaning of this word today can not explain no scientist. However, almost all linguists agree that the "villain" (also known as "scum") is a relative of "frost." Of course, it is unlikely "bastard" can be deciphered as "frosty man." Even the "moron" as the translation, is not very fit - it's too much of an expression of contempt, usually invest when they say "scum." There is a hypothesis that the bastards were called criminals who were executed by drowning under the ice. In the Russian tradition, it was believed that people who took this death becomes "Zalozhnev dead," that is doomed to eternal wandering on the ground, or even a ghost - a ghoul.



Rotten

Probably originally used to mean "something ripped off" - tree bark, animal skin, etc. Then, as linguists have concluded, "rubbish" became known as something of no value. However, there is an exotic version, claiming that the word in some way connected with the execution by flaying. In other words, "rubbish" called people "worthy" of such executions.



Cattle

It's simple: "cattle" is translated from Polish, like cattle. So arrogant nobles preferred to call workers in agriculture. Then the bad habit passed on Russian noblemen, and from them went for a walk on the middle-class environment. Interestingly, the Czechs, the Poles, the neighbors use the word "cattle" in the sense of "home", "home". Therefore, if you become a victim of abuse that word, try on for yourself the Czech version.