Despite the efforts of linguists, it is not always possible to establish the origin of a particular word in the Russian language. This is especially true of jargon that came from the criminal environment. A striking example of such a situation is the noun "kid". The meaning of this word today is known to almost everyone, but initially it had a slightly different meaning. What is it? Let's find out, and also consider the most famous theories of the origin of this lexical unit.
Modern interpretation of the word "kid"
This noun today can be heard from almost any person, regardless of his social status and education. At the same time, the word in question still belongs to the category of vernacular, and its use in competent literary speech is considered a mistake.
What does it mean? The word "kid" is often used to refer to boys, as well as young people. The closest in meaning to it are the terms "guy", "boy", and amongvernacular - "dude".
What does "kid" mean in the criminal world
Having become familiar with the basic meaning of the word "kid", you should pay attention to how this lexeme is interpreted by the explanatory dictionary of criminal jargons (TSUZH). In it, the noun in question is used in the plural - "boys" - and means … a set of master keys, as well as playing cards.
In other dictionaries (specializing in the jargon used by criminals in their speech), the meaning of the word "kid" is different - this is a young thief who works with a more experienced criminal and learns from him.
Moreover, this jargon is often used in the phrases "green kid" and "golden kid". The first is simply called a young thief, and the second is a young criminal who has already achieved certain “successes” in his chosen field.
This noun is also used when talking about a member of a youth criminal group who enjoys special respect from colleagues. At the same time, the common phrase "rotten kid" indicates that this noun does not always mean a respected criminal.
In the yard jargon, this term refers to guys who, according to the company, are normal guys living according to the concepts of the yard or the district.
From all the above interpretations of the meaning of the word "kid", we can conclude that there is no clear definition for this term, and in certain regions and areas it is used in its own way.
When this word appeared in Russian
So, today there is no unambiguous theory about how exactly the unit of speech we are considering was formed, but it is known when it appeared.
It happened at the beginning of the 20th century, most likely after the 1917 revolution. An interesting fact testifies to this. Many people who want to know the etymology and meaning of a particular word turn to the fundamental works of well-known, respected authors. One of these works is the Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language by V. I. Dahl. What do we find in it? What is the meaning of the word "kid" according to Dahl? It turns out that there is simply no such noun or close to it. And Vladimir Ivanovich was a meticulous person and would hardly have missed this lexical unit if it had been common in the 19th century.
One of the first dictionaries in which the concept under consideration is recorded is Selishchev's Dictionary of Thieves' Jargon, published in 1928. After it, in 1929, "kid" appears in A. V. Mirtova. In it, the word appears as the name of homeless children and tramps in Rostov.
The great innovator teacher Anton Semyonovich Makarenko in his “Pedagogical poem” periodically encounters the word “kid” precisely in the meaning of “homeless child”. This confirms that in the 20-30s. 20th century this noun referred to boys from dysfunctional families or orphans who were forced to earn their living by stealing.
Probably when the generation of guys who were the first to be called "boys" grew up,together with them, this name automatically began to be used in the criminal environment as an appeal to older criminals.
It is worth noting that after the Great Patriotic War, in the "Dictionary of the Russian Language" by S. I. Ozhegov, the noun "kid" already means just a boy or guy. This is how it is interpreted today.
The meaning of the word "kid" among the Jews
Having de alt with the interpretation and history of distribution, it is worth paying attention to the most famous theories of the origin of the word "kid".
One of the most unpleasant versions of his appearance is Jewish. According to her, “kid” was originally written as “potsan” (an unstressed “o” reads like [a]) and was formed from the word “pots”. It means "penis" in Hebrew, but it is most often used as a synonym for the noun "fool".
Some researchers believe that the term "kid" was formed from another Jewish swear word - "potsen" ("underdeveloped penis").
It is known that the tradition of using the words "pots" and "potsen" in speech appeared in Odessa at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to the huge number of Jews in the city, their swear words (which they called petty thieves) soon spread in the criminal environment, not only in Odessa, but also far beyond its borders.
It turns out that it doesn't matter whether the word in question is formed from "potz" or "potsen", all the same, the meaning of the word "kid" from Hebrew is "male reproductive organ". Agree, this is rather unpleasant for those who like to callbeing a "kid".
Ukrainian origin theory
However, not all linguists believe that the word in question came from Hebrew. A number of linguists insist on the Ukrainian origin of the noun. So, in the “Dictionary of the Ukrainian language” by B. Grinchenko, published in the first decade of the 20th century, there is the term “patya” - this is a piglet or even an adult pig.
In this regard, it is believed that the word "kid" was originally called children and teenagers who grazed pigs. At the same time, it is worth noting that the word “pats” - “rat” was noted in the Dahl dictionary in the same period.
Polish trace in the etymology of the word "kid"
In addition to the above, there is a theory about the Polish origin of the noun in question. So, in the language of the proud gentry there is the lexeme pacan, which translates as "fool".
Having considered all theories of the origin of the word "kid", we have to admit that they all agree that the word originally had a negative connotation and was used as a curse. However, if linguists had paid attention to it right away, today it would be possible to establish its origin more accurately.
