The phrase “The meeting place cannot be changed” has become common. The cult film endowed the native language with interesting phraseological units and many quote it. And what is a zugunder? It is known that taverns and women will be brought to him. So said Brokeback. But questions remain: is it just a nuisance or something more serious? What context is the word used in?
What dictionaries say
The origin of the word “zugunder” is rooted in the days when corporal punishment was used in the Russian army. They were introduced by Peter the Great, since from the twelfth century it was common in Europe.
Ushakov’s dictionary states that the word is army jargon, from the German zu hundert (zu hundert). Literally translated "to a hundred." This refers to stick strikes, which were carried out by gauntlets. This is also the German word: Spiess (Spitz) —the peak and Rute (Rute) —the rod. It means a whip soaked in water, which hit the sentenced, passing through a double system (usually it was from one hundred to eight hundred soldiers).
The execution was carried out one or several times, driving through the ranks. By the time corporal punishment was abolished, the number of strikes assigned to a soldier was in the thousands. In fact, it was the death penalty. The fallen people were dragged, continuing to carry out the punishment.
The meaning of the word “zugunder” is similar to Russian military jargon “to drive through the ranks”. Despite the fact that the zugunder was originally the appointment of a hundred strokes, in the Russian language this word began to mean any punishment. This includes, for example, guardhouse.
Other variations of the word's origin
Some are inclined to the version that zugunder means "to dogs", this is the German phraseology zu Hunden (zu hunden). In Russian there is a similar expression - “a dog with him”.
The source is also called the German version zu Grunde gehen, which means "to die."
There is another assumption: perhaps this word came through Yiddish. Probably due to the distorted German expression "zug unter" (shackled by shackles). So called walking in a circle of bound prisoners and going to hard labor, bound in chains. And the expression itself meant prison.
What they say about the Zugunder in Odessa
Many words in the prison vocabulary are borrowed from the "Odessa language". In many ways, this is the merit of Yiddish. This is an ambal, khan, raspberry, freebie, buzz, fraer. Zugunder in this language is a prison. But in Odessa itself it will be called a kitchman. What does the word “zugunder” mean in Odessa?
- When someone watches the time, gets nervous, in a hurry, they can say about him: "He's on a zugunderder." An analogue of the Russian expression "like on pins and needles."
- They can say about the choice between two unprofitable offers: “But will this not lead to an even bigger zugunder?”
- The expressions “plant a pig”, “substitute” can also be designated as “zugunder”.
- There is also the Jewish surname Zugunder. In Russia there are one and a half dozen of its carriers.
What is zugunder in literature
In domestic literature, there are four variants of using the word “zugunder”, which differ in the prepositions used with it.
- Max Fry writes that “curiosity ... will bring to zugunder” (Encyclopedia of myths).
- I. S. Turgenev puts this word into the mouth of his character: “... immediately under the zugunder” (“Smoke”).
- V. S. Pikul writes about the way of restraining prisoners: “... he was taken for a zugunder” (“I have honor”).
- Sholom Aleichem explains what a zugunder is: “people took it” and the investigator took testimonies from everyone (“Seventy-Five Thousands”).
As we see, basically, the phrases used by writers mean imprisonment, investigation of a crime when a person is taken into custody or circumstances that inevitably lead to imprisonment. In general, nothing good.
How is the word used now
What is a zugunder in a modern language environment? There are persistent expressions with different origins that use this word. Among them are those remaining from the past, having a prison fleur:
- Take (pull) on the zugunder - violence.
- To take (to take) for a zugunder - for a scruff.
- Take under zugunder - arrest.
- Zugunder cries for you - your place in prison.
Now in an intelligent environment, the word is used with an ironic connotation. Bringing it to the zugunder is the same as bringing it to the handle. But now they call a tsugunderder not a sticking or a dungeon, but an unpleasant and ridiculous situation, a situation in which they fall through their own fault or with someone else's help.
- There is a joke attributed to Louis the Sixteenth that every king is afraid of the arrival of three Ts: time pressure, zugzwang and zugunder.
- Vladimir Putin joked about officials bringing their city to a zugunder.
- The next zugunderder is evident - they sat down in a puddle again, disgraced, failed, failed.
Also, this word is used in colloquy to indicate that a person is on the verge of collapse, brought to nervous exhaustion. This can be very stressful. Then they can say that he "reached the zugunder", a synonym for "reached the pen." And, although there are already no hints of breaking the law and punishment, you should think carefully before using this phraseology. It may seem inappropriate in some situations because of its low style.