Recently, well-known politicians and presenters of popular programs have begun to use old words in order to offend the opposing side. The word "scum" has recently become very popular. The meaning of this word has become of interest to thousands of people.
Etymology of the word "scum"
Currently, the noun "scum" is considered from several positions:
a) an old word has taken on a new life;
b) there are discussions in circles of people interested in linguistics as to whether a word that is hundreds of years old has changed its meaning in our time;
c) among ordinary people, a comic and provocative dispute is kindled as to whether "scum", based on the meaning of this word, can be considered a swearing and offensive word.
"Scum" has a rude meaning and was used in the speeches of our contemporaries with a negative emotional connotation, clearly not to praise.
Back to basics
Vowels were not used in ancient Russian books. Words were written without vowels and without spaces. Thus, literate people had to know the meaning, pronunciation and spelling of all the words used in the books. Fortunately, the general vocabulary of written Russian words was then not as large as it is now. The chronicler could well know them all and use them by meaning.
If you imagine the spelling of the well-known in ancient times, and now the word "frost", then it looked like "mrz". Several words are known that are based on such letters: scum, frost, scoundrel, vile, frozen. Without a doubt, all these words are close in meaning and were once the same root, respectively, had similar meanings. What does the word "scum" mean? Let's figure it out.
If so, then the meaning of the word "scum" is determined by such characteristics as "frost, drizzle, cold". Expanding ideas about the noun, we can assume that since it is unpleasant to touch frozen and cold things, the word "scum" may have additional characteristics: "unpleasant, trembling." This is a physical definition.
In a broad sense, the meaning of the word "scum" has nothing to do with the cold. This is an unpleasant, slippery person who is not conducive to communication, causing irritation and hostility, disgust, chills on the skin and trembling.
What do the compilers of explanatory dictionaries think?
B. Dahl inin his well-known dictionary defines the meaning of the word "scum" as a synonym for the territory of use (Kostroma and Yaroslavl regions) of the following unpleasant words:
- foul;
- disgusting;
- abomination.
Linguist D. N. Ushakov expands the list of synonyms, adding to them the words "rubbish" and "insignificance", while "scum" is a characteristic of bad people and does not have a plural.
How the writers did
Russian writers used the word "scum" to describe the negative character traits of people, thereby confirming that the noun changed the physical parameter of its original basis of meaning to the spiritual one.
The word "scum" was used in their works by A. P. Chekhov ("One of many"), A. T. Averchenko ("Christmas Day at the Kindyakovs"), V. V. Mayakovsky ("Scum"), V. Pelevin ("Numbers"). In their opinion, scum is a person who has committed an extremely bad deed and for this he is removed from God.
Thus, scum is a characteristic of the unpleasant features of a person, but the word is not abusive, although pronouncing it against a person can be considered an insult. Nevertheless, the translation of the word "scum" into English is difficult because the word is defined as a curse (scum) and its close synonym is the word "bastard".
