One of the hallmarks of an intelligent person is a good vocabulary. This postulate has so seriously affected society that many try to enrich the vocabulary by violent methods, without delving into the meaning and essence of the words. Of course, this is a mistake, and it can cause misunderstanding. For example, who is a comrade? This concept is found not only in old films and books, sometimes it slips in modern society.
Origin of the term
Since the word is found in all languages of the Romanesque group, it is logical to look for its roots in Latin. The housing of the warriors was called “camera”, by and large, this is a barracks, and the prison meaning was assigned to this word a little later. Who is a comrade? Based on this explanation, we are talking about co-workers, but then you need to pronounce "camera". This pronunciation rate is valid in German, and in French and Spanish the sound “e” has been transformed into “a”.
The spread of this concept throughout Europe coincided with the activation of socialist movements. During this period, the politicization of the term was inevitable: the class struggle, the proletariat against the oppressors and other slogans of the Communists exerted their influence.
Meaning of the word “comrade”
Often you can find the opinion that the exact synonyms are the words "friend", "buddy", "comrade". However, in a strict reading we are talking about comrades as equal people. It is impossible to eliminate military overtones here, the concept is interpreted primarily as a “comrade in arms” or in combat. Asking the question, who are comrades, it is worth remembering the origin of the term - these are warriors united by one task and possibly living together.
These are not necessarily pals or friends, but rather associates and like-minded people who relate to each other with strict mutual respect. The closest synonym is "comrade", it was this appeal that was considered politically correct during the time of socialism.
The spread of the concept
The starting point in history can be considered the Great French Revolution, when the antimonarchists declared the equality of all citizens of the state and the abolition of noble titles and ranks. Soon after, a term was introduced into widespread use that is not limited to the territory of one state. Who is a comrade? Initially, the appeal was “citizen” or “citizen”, but a more voluminous concept was required - “comrade”. Since this word sounds almost the same in all Romance languages, it can be considered pan-European, a very convenient term. In Russian, instead of the international “comrade”, it was the translation “comrade” that took root, but tracing paper from European was used almost as actively, especially when it came to communicating with supporters of ideology from abroad.
However, it would be a mistake to consider this term exclusively communist - in the ranks of many fascist organizations this term was equally often used as emphasizing the unity of the task. Therefore, do not overly politicize this word, it has a wider application.
Modern reading
In our time, this term is practically not found in oral communication, but some narrow circles with thematic hobbies actively revive it, without even letting yourself think about what a comrade is. The meaning of the word in this case remains almost the same - these are comrades united by some common task. On the Internet, this term is most often found on forums devoted to weapons and methods of survival in extreme situations.
It can be safely stated that the concept has nevertheless migrated to the category of slang expressions. Militaristic themes are inextricably linked with the romanticization of everything related to the war. It is quite difficult to blame ordinary users who have grown up in the entire cinema industry, singing the relevant topics.
Sometimes the erroneous spelling "comrade" is found. It is difficult to say exactly what it is - a typo, a learned mistake or an attempt to intentionally emphasize its exclusivity. Moreover, an ironic connotation sometimes occurs when words are intentionally distorted within the framework of the so-called “Albanian language”. In this case, the error is used to emphasize the ridiculous sides of opponents and their hobbies.
Appropriateness of use
If we argue what “comrade” means in the academic sense of the word, then the term is somewhat outdated, and its application gives the speech some excessive pathos and pretentiousness. When the emotional side is turned on, classic populism is obtained: we are all comrades-in-arms equal among equals, and we need to rally against the oppressors.
In narrow communities where such treatment is a colloquial norm, the use of the term is quite appropriate. From the point of view of an uninvolved person, this sounds a little strange, but quite acceptable, literally at the level of “it is so customary here”. No special semantic content is required.