Besides the fact that the Russian language is great and powerful, it is also rich in all kinds of obscene and slang expressions. You can argue about the admissibility of abuse or the complete lack of culture of this phenomenon, however, from a linguistic point of view, street argo is a wonderful mirror of society. For example, almost all the time you can hear the word "schmuck". What is a schmuck, who is a chmoshnik, and is this word an insult?
What dictionaries say
Explanatory dictionaries of different authors agree in the main thing: “schmuck” is an insult. This word refers to a person sloppy, awkward, unlucky, stupid, stooped. Perhaps someone believes that the statement of fact is not an insult, but it is difficult to find a person who will be delighted to hear: “Hey you, schmuck!” What is this mysterious "schmuck" and where did it come from? There are several opinions on this subject.
Dahl's dictionary, when asked about what “schmuck” means, refers us to the word “smack” (“smack”) - to vegetate in poverty, to live in poverty, to languish. If we accept this version, then “schmuck” is a derivative slang noun, descended from the verb “smarm”. At the same time, there is such a thing in street argo as to “smack up” - “to poison, to lower morally,” that is, to turn a person into a schmuck.
Army version
Adherents of the army version argue that “schmuck” is a common noun derived from the acronym CMM - the Material Support Part. The appearance of this word is attributed to the times of World War II, when heroes who fought on the front lines expressed their legitimate contempt for the so-called rear rats. Parts of material support were an order of magnitude less likely to come under fire, but did not attack - their function was, in fact, material support. The soldiers from the front line believed that whoever was not with them was the rear rat, and the CMO turned into a schmuck. What is a surviving and not even wounded ordinary of the supply? Of course, schmuck.
But the front wit is also credited with another decoding of the abbreviation of the CMO - “they are odd, wise, deceive” (an obscene version of the word). This does not add anything new to the definition, but it clarifies the degree of indignation.
Jewish version
In fact, this is an international version. An unprintable Yiddish definition that sounds like “smack” migrated to American English and transformed into “schmuck”. This American Yiddish successfully migrated to the territory of the USSR, presumably to Odessa. It was there that the transformation was completed, and a new capacious word - "schmuck" - sounded in the Odessa gates. What is a big geographic hook in half the globe for a good word? The little things. And after that, a short three-letter word has grown to a more expressive “chmoshnik”. In a way, it sounds even more offensive; such an ending seems to emphasize an additional portion of contempt.
Derivative Abbreviations
Since language is flexible and constantly evolving matter, versions of the origin of the word multiplied and multiplied. Growing into an abbreviation was inevitable. If in the army version the abbreviation mutated to the usual word, then the reverse process did not become something more complicated, but it became extremely interesting.
What will they answer if we ask passers-by on the street now what does “schmuck” mean? The vast majority will answer that it is "Man Morally Omitted." This definition is already from the criminal world, and it is worth paying attention to - not descending (itself, of its own free will and weakness), but omitted (by someone strong, entitled).
Then people begin to practice wit. Here are the options:
- Man of the Moscow Region;
- Champion of the Moscow Region;
- Man Welfare;
- Man Morally Burdened;
- Man Morally Ennobled;
- Officer Instantly Insolent;
- Man Interfering with Society and so on.
What place does the word “schmuck” occupy in the vocabulary
A legitimate question arises as to whether the use of the word schmuck is appropriate in communication? If you consider that this is a slang expression, and in cultural circles slang is considered non grata by default, the conclusion is simple - do not abuse the word “schmuck”. The meaning of this definition lies in a derogatory and contemptuous plane, so in some cases this is as unacceptable as obscene language.
However, if in business and official communication it’s clearly not worth rewarding someone with the dubious title of Chmoshnik, then in everyday speech this word is used extremely widely. “Schmuck” has so tightly entered the generally accepted vocabulary that it is successfully considered a substitute for heavier curses, and since it is almost impossible to prove its obscene coloring, the offensive meaning gradually dissolves in the everyday stream of everyday rudeness.
In confidential communication, it can be permissible to call a person an unpleasant person or to wrap everything up as a joke. Of great importance here is the intonation with which the word was cast, as well as the accompanying facial expressions. Emotional coloring can, if not dramatically, then noticeably change the tone. However, in virtual communication, when intonations have to be guessed and interpreted to the best of their abilities, the meaning remains dismissive with a clear desire to offend the interlocutor.