Considering the origin of the word "soldier", it will be rather surprising to learn that it was formed from the Italian word "soldo" ("solid"). This is a coin that first appeared in the year 379 under the emperor Constantine. This term meant a mercenary whose services were purchased at a small coin, therefore, his life has the same low price. The origin of the word "soldier" and its meaning will be discussed in this article.
Dictionary value
Studying the origin of the word "soldier", you must turn to the dictionary, which sets out the interpretation of this term.
- This is the primary, lower, junior military rank (also ordinary) in the armies of most states. A synonym for this term is words such as "military man" or "military liable."
- In a broad sense, this is a military man who has any rank, experience in military affairs, one who has military qualities.
- In a figurative sense, this is a participant in a movement (organization) that has devoted itself to serving specific goals and objectives.
- Insect specimens responsible for protecting the uterus, such as ants, termites, wasps.
In the Middle Ages, this term was called mercenaries of various branches of the armed forces, today they use the expression "soldiers of fortune" - for example, employees of the French foreign legion.
Appearance story
Considering the origin of the word "soldier", it should be noted that it first appeared around 1250 in Italy. That was the name of the mercenaries who received money for military service. As mentioned earlier, the word "soldier" comes from the Italian coin soldo, which is quite small in value. In other words, this term emphasized the fact that the life of a warrior has an extremely low price and is actually equal to this small bargaining chip.
In Russia, the word "soldier" has been widely used since the beginning of the 17th century in the regiments of the "new system" (military units created from free people, servicemen, Cossacks, foreigners, as well as other mercenaries modeled on the armies of Europe). Not only ranks were borrowed, but also training methods, as well as the quantitative distribution of companies, regiments, etc.
Spread the term
Studying the meaning of the word soldier, it is necessary to consider its further development. For example, this term acquired the meaning of “lower rank” (and not just a hired warrior, that is, without comparing it with the military branch) during the reign of Catherine II.
The word was used to designate the military with some interruptions until 1917. From this time until 1945, terms such as:
- Red Army
- fighter;
- private;
- ordinary soldier.
In the Armed Forces of the USSR, “soldier” as a category was introduced from the middle of 1946 and is still used in the Armed Forces of Russia.
In art
Military themes have always been popular in the art of various cultures. For example, in Soviet times, the movie “Soldier Ivan Brovkin”, which talked about service in the ranks of the Soviet Army, enjoyed great love among the audience. In addition, they pay special respect to the tapes telling about the Great Patriotic War. In them, most often the main character becomes a simple Soviet soldier.
Along with movie heroes, there are literary characters who won the love of readers. These include the satirical hero Joseph Schweik, created by Czech author J. Hasek. His works were humorous in spite of the fact that the action took place during the war. Also very popular in the Soviet Union was the soldier Vasily Terkin. His adventures were described by A.T. Twardowski.
Currently, almost every year films are released in which one of the main characters is a soldier who steadfastly and with dignity endures harsh military everyday life.