Solicitor - this word is historicism, that is, a term that refers to objects or phenomena that have left modern life. So, today it is almost never used in everyday speech. For this reason, its interpretation is often difficult. Anyone who is interested in the meaning of “solicitor” will not be uninteresting to get acquainted with the information presented in this review.
Dictionary Interpretation
About who is a solicitor in the old days, the dictionary says the following:
- Firstly, in Russia, from the 16th to the beginning of the 18th century, there were officials who performed all kinds of household duties at the royal court.
- Secondly, in the 18th - first half of the 19th century, the Russian state called court officials.
- Thirdly, in Russia until 1917 the solicitor is a private attorney.
Examples of the use of the word
In order to better understand the interpretation of the studied token, it would be advisable to familiarize yourself with examples of sentences in which it is present.
- In a book about Ivan the Terrible V.E. Shambarov points out that the solicitors at that time were one of the lower court ranks, the name of which came from the word "cook," which meant "to do."
- When the Moscow tsars were married to the kingdom, as well as in other solemn occasions, they held a scepter in their right hand. During large exits, the scepter in front of the king carried special solicitors.
- Semenov wanted to regain his rights and hired a very clever lawyer for this, who, believing his promise to pay later, got down to business.
- The commercial court was authorized to either register the applicant as a judicial solicitor or refuse to register him without bothering to explain the reasons.
- Avdeev has served for several years as a court clerk, vested with the right to perform the duties of a solicitor.
- Unlike the former lawyers, the comrades of the provincial prosecutor were subordinate only to the prosecutor and were not dependent on the provincial administration.
Continuing the study of the meaning of the word "solicitor", it is worth considering its origin.
Etymology
According to researchers, the word "solicitor", which in Russia was originally pronounced as "solicitor", is of Slavic origin. It goes back to the old Russian verb “cook”, which has several meanings, such as “work”, “settle”, “delay”.
Further, from the indicated verb in the Russian language, the verb “to cook” was formed, the original meaning of which was “to work diligently (that is, slowly)”. Close to the noun "solicitor" is considered the verb "get stuck".
An interesting fact is that the term under study is closely related to the noun “cooking”, which means a woman who cooks food, a cook, and the noun “cooking” (cooking, eating). This relationship is explained by the fact that these nouns also come from the verb “cook”, which over time has acquired the meaning “cook food”.
The following is a more detailed discussion of who the solicitor is in the Russian state at different times.
At the royal court
In the 16-18 centuries, the solicitor, in fact, was a palace servant. This court order immediately followed the steward. The solicitor was a tsarist official who was at the stables, bread and other yards. This post was abolished during the reign of Peter the Great. And after that, it was restored as part of the reform of 1775.
Officials who were supposed to monitor the tsar’s dress and submit it to the sovereign during vestments were also called solicitors. They could also carry out the various orders that the king gave them.
They served as palace economists (solicitor with a key), city, regimental governor, and separate military companies were formed from them. The people who were called that way had to take a special oath, during which they, in particular, took an oath that they would not put potions or dashing roots in the royal cooking (dresses, towels, other things).
In the Russian Empire
Starting from the eighteenth century, the studied term acquires a different meaning, although it still relates to officials. According to the institution of the provinces, from 1775 to 1864, the solicitor is the name of some judicial officials. For example, this was the name of the assistant prosecutor in charge of criminal matters.
The special competence of the solicitors included legal protection relating to public interests. So, in the scope of their activities included specific estates - real estate, the proceeds of which went to the maintenance of members of the imperial family.
Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, solicitors have oversaw the order in places of detention. Since 1832, a sworn solicitor appears, who is a solicitor for private cases heard in commercial courts. In common parlance, they were called private business intercessors. It is in this meaning that the word "solicitor" has spread throughout the pages of literary works. As a result of the judicial reform in 1864, only such a role of solicitors remained.