In the understanding of many, the word "elderly" is associated with old age. So called people who have crossed a certain age line. However, this concept is much broader than we used to think. There are several interesting historical facts that can expand the horizons of the reader and allow him to navigate the various meanings of the word. How little we know about the etymology of words, their meaning and variations. An educated person should always be at an informational height.
Let's look at the historical origins
The elderly is a fixed fee that was practiced in the Russian state at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 17th centuries. It was obliged to pay every peasant who decided to leave his master and become free. There were also certain timeframes of payment, no less interesting: a week before the autumn holiday St. George’s Day (November 2, according to the old style, December 9, new) and a week after.
Now, if you are asked the question: "The elderly - what is it?" - you will not give an example of a person’s age, but remember the history of great Russia and correctly answer it. For the first time, the concept of elderly (this is precisely the amount of money) was mentioned in an official document called the “Code of Laws", the entries in which began in 1497. There was even a specific article number - 57. A similar fact meant that the fee had to be paid rigorously, without disputes and claims. The evader was threatened with a fine, which at that time substantially hit the poor peasant’s pocket.
Duty Amount
On average, the size of the elderly (depending on the degree of distance from the forest) amounted to a ruble, if a person lived in a wooded area, a half. The rewritten “Sudebnik” from 1550 (the article also changed - it was already at number 88) made its own adjustments to the size of the elderly. At that time it was two altyns. It will be superfluous to say that the elderly is a merciless requisition, which was not accessible to every peasant. He might not have earned that much money from the owner. There was only one way out - do not go anywhere, continuing to work in the sweat of your face, and not dream of the long-awaited freedom in the near future.
When in the XVI – XVII centuries. the right to leave the peasant from his owner was abolished at the legislative level, the concept of “elderly” disappeared as such. After almost a century, the situation has changed a bit and the elderly - it was already a fine for the reception and shelter of runaway peasants on its territory. Due to the fact that the fee for compassion was rather large, there were very few people wishing to shelter the unfortunate.
Back to the age of man
Another phrase we'll look at is older people. This is a population that has lived a certain number of years. They, as a rule, are already slowly moving away from active participation in labor and socially active activities. This is a concept identical to retirement age. To correctly determine when a person will reach this milestone, you need to take into account many factors. The main ones are social, economic, medical and cultural. We give a specific example: if a man or woman has not yet reached retirement age, but cannot participate in labor activity under the same conditions as before, they are not considered elderly. And some, after 60 years, remain extremely active and can easily “give odds” to young people. Thus, medical and social factors do not always coincide and sometimes go against each other.
But in general, older people are, according to the WHO classification, those who are over 60 but not over 74 (the next is senile age).
Old age or experience
To a person who is no longer young, sometimes increased demands are made by society. This is sometimes a public demonstration of neglect. An elderly person is, according to some, already exhausted material, no matter how regrettable it sounds. But such an approach is the road to nowhere. We must not forget that it is today's elderly people who have provided us with a certain standard of living, though not always the way we would like. An old or an old person is an integral part of life, and he deserves honor and respect. Do not forget about it. Anyone who does not honor old age, does not appreciate its experience, is unlikely to receive many privileges in the future. In addition, the years will fly by, and everyone will be in the status of the elderly. Much depends on how much sensitivity, kindness and compassion is invested in each kid or teenager - our future and our worthy old age depend on it.