The boy - the meaning of the word, meaning

Despite the efforts of linguistic scientists, it is not always possible to establish the origin of a word in Russian. Especially this applies to jargon, coming from the criminal environment. A vivid example of such a situation is the noun "boy". The meaning of this word is known today to almost everyone, but initially it had a slightly different meaning. Which one? Let's learn it, and also we will consider the most known theories of origin of the given lexical unit.

Modern interpretation of the word "boy"

This noun can now be heard practically from any person, regardless of his social status and education. At the same time, the word under consideration still belongs to the category of prostitution, and its use in literate literary speech is considered an error.

What does it mean? The word "boy" often refers to boys, as well as young people. The most close in meaning to him are the terms "guy", "boy", and among the common speakers - "dude".

What does "boy" in the criminal world mean?

Having become acquainted with the main meaning of the word "boy", it is worth paying attention to how this lexeme is interpreted by the explanatory dictionary of criminal jargons (SDSW). 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 jargon used by criminals in their speech) the meaning of the word "boy" is different - it's a young thief who works with a more experienced criminal and learns from him.

And this jargon is often used in the phrases "green kid" and "golden boy". The first name simply a young thief, and the second - a young criminal who has already achieved certain "success" in the chosen field.

This noun is also used when talking about a member of a youth criminal gang, who enjoys special respect from colleagues. At the same time, the common phrase "rotten boy" testifies that not always this noun means a respected criminal.

In the neighborhood jargon, this term refers to guys who, in the opinion of the company, are normal children living according to the concepts of a court or a district.

Of all the above interpretations of the meaning of the word "boy", we can conclude that there is no clear definition of this term, and in some regions and spheres it is used in its own way.

When this word arose in Russian

So, today there is no unambiguous theory about exactly how the unit of speech we were considering was formed, but it is known when it appeared.

This happened at the beginning of the 20th century, most likely after the revolution of 1917. This is evidenced by a curious fact. Many people who want to learn the etymology and meaning of a specific word, turn to the fundamental works of well-known, respected authors. One such work is the Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language by VI Dal. What do we find in it? What is the meaning of the word "boy" according to Dal? 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 distributed in the 19th century.

One of the first dictionaries in which the concept is fixed is the "Dictionary of thieves' jargon" by AM Selischev, published in 1928. After him, in 1929, the "boy" appears in the dictionary of AV Mirtov. In it, the word appears as the name of homeless and tramps in Rostov.

The great pedagogue-innovator Anton Semenovich Makarenko in his "Pedagogical Poem" periodically meets the word "boy" in the sense of "homeless." This confirms that in the 20-30's. XX century. These nouns were called boys from dysfunctional families or orphans, forced to earn a living by theft.

Probably, when the generation of children, which were first called "boys", grew, together with them this name automatically became used in the criminal environment as an appeal to more adult criminals.

It is worth noting that after the Great Patriotic War in the "Dictionary of the Russian Language" SI Ozhegov noun "boy" already means just a boy or a guy. So it is treated today.

The meaning of the word "patsan" among the Jews

Having dealt with the interpretation and the history of distribution, it is worth paying attention to the most famous theories of the origin of the word "boy".

One of the most unpleasant versions of his appearance is the Jewish one. According to her, the "boy" was originally written as "pocan" (unstressed "about" is read as [a]) and was formed from the word "poc". In Hebrew it means "penis", but most often it is used as a synonym for the noun "fool".

Some researchers believe that the term "boy" was formed from another Jewish abusive treatment - "the price" ("underdeveloped penis").

It is known that the tradition of using the words "poc" and "pencil" in speech appeared in Odessa in the early XX century. Because of the huge number of Jews in the city, their abusive language (which they called petty thieves) soon spread in a criminal environment, not only in Odessa, but also far beyond its borders.

It turns out, it does not matter whether the word under consideration is formed from the "poca" or the "pose", the meaning of the word "boy" from the Jewish word is the "male reproductive organ". Agree, this is rather unpleasant for those who like to call themselves "kid".

Ukrainian theory of origin

However, not all linguistic scientists believe that the word in question came from Hebrew. A number of linguists insist on the Ukrainian origin of the noun. So, in B. Grinchenko's Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language, published in the first decade of the 20th century, there is the term "patsy" - it is a pig or even an adult pig.

In this regard, it is believed that the word "boy" was originally called children and adolescents who grazed pigs. It should be noted that in the dictionary of Dahl in the same period, the word "pats" - "rat" was noted.

Polish trace in the etymology of the word "boy"

In addition to the above, there is a theory about the Polish origin of the noun. So, in the language of the proud gentry there is a lexeme pacan, which translates as "fool".

After examining all the theories of the origin of the word "boy", we have to admit that they all agree that the word was originally of a negative connotation and was used as an abusive language. However, if linguists drew attention to it at once, today it would be possible to establish its origin more accurately.