Russian vocabulary can be conditionally divided into two layers: borrowed words and native Russian words. The second group includes the word "swordsman", which has several meanings.
History
The word "swordsman" historically had several meanings, both meanings can now be considered obsolete, but one of them fell into disuse much earlier. A swordsman is one of the court officials in some countries, including in Ancient Russia.
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A swordsman in Ancient Russia was a person who had the palace rank of Russian princes, sometimes some of the combatants were called that. His main duty was the exercise of judicial power: he was obliged to be present at the iron test, for which he could receive a monetary reward. His duties also included the following: the swordsman, who belonged directly to the prince, could be sent with a diplomatic message to other Russian princes, he also collected tribute in the princely possessions. However, some historians reject the information that a swordsman was present at the war, they call this man a "sword boy",insisting that it was he who was sent on a diplomatic mission, and not a swordsman. In Novgorod this rank was called "Great Sword".
- In the Commonwe alth (in a state that ceased to exist in 1795), a swordsman is a person who was required to carry the royal sword, which was a sign of the power of the monarch. There were also two more swordsmen: crown and Lithuanian. They were officials in the judiciary of the troops. It is noteworthy that they carried out their activities only while the king was in their possessions. These officials occupied a rather low place in the hierarchy of ranks in the Commonwe alth.
Meaning of the word
Now the meaning of the word "swordsman" has changed a bit. But the new meaning is not too far from the original semantics. A swordsman is a person who forges swords, or a warrior who fights with them. However, it is worth remembering that "swordsman" is an obsolete word, and a blacksmith should not be called it.
