Vile people

Often in the dictionaries of the Russian language it is noted that the concept of “ vile people ” and the word “ vile ” itself, literally meaning “ inferior ”, “ originally ... was used as a term, without a swear word ” ^{[5] [6]} .

However, this is not quite true. The word " vile " in the Russian language was not free from a contemptuous connotation, since at its appearance it bore the imprint of a class, noble, assessment of the common people. In some regional folk dialects, the word " vile " was used in the meaning: "poor" (Perm, Solikamsk, Cherdynsky dialects) ^{[8] [6]} .

The word " vile " entered the Russian literary language in the 17th century. from Ukrainian, which was entrenched in the XVI century. under the influence of the Polish language (cf. Polish. podły, podłosć ). As M.O. Koyalovich wrote, the word " gentry " " came to us under Peter from Poland and entailed his own antithesis - the vile people " ^{[9] [6]} . So, for example, back in 1729, A. D. Kantemir wrote: “It is vile to the nobleman to envy the well-being of those who have despicable themselves ” ^[6] . In "Notes" of Princess N. B. Dolgoruky (1767) ^[10] : " They will treat you as if they were vile "; " It seemed mean to us to talk " ^[11] . In his article “In reply to A. S. Khomyakov ” (1838), I. V. Kireevsky also pointed out that the use of the word “ vile ” to the people was recorded in the noble language of the 17th – 18th centuries. from the West ^[6] .

I.G. Pryzhov in his History of Kabaks in Russia in Connection with the History of the Russian People (1868) refers the distribution of the word " vile " to the beginning of the 18th century. He talks about the new, fashionable in the XVIII century. the word " vile " applied to everything popular: vile people - people, vile speech - speech of the people. “ Drinking,” wrote Boltin, “was completely exterminated by noble people in society ... Vile people still use drunk drinks ” ^[12] .

But by the end of the XVIII century. Under the influence of growing interest in the people, under the influence of liberal ideas, the neutral meaning of “ socially low ” in the word “ vile ” gradually weakened and the negative connotation began to intensify.

In I.N.Boltin 's “Notes on the History of Leclerc” (1788) review of epics, ancient songs: “ songs of vile, without any warehouse and harmony. Truly such songs portray the taste of the century, but not of the people, but of the mob, the illiterate people, and maybe tramps, who were fed by the craft that, composing such songs, they sang them for alms ” ^{[13] [14]} .

The rebuke from the Northern Herald (1804) to the reactionary noble magazine Patriot, published by V. V. Izmailov, is symptomatic: “ The expression vile language is the rest of the injustice of the time when vile people spoke and wrote; but now, thanks to philanthropy and laws, we do not have a vile people and a vile language! but there are, like all nations, vile thoughts, vile deeds. Whatever state a person expresses these thoughts, it will be a mean language, like, for example: the mean language of a nobleman, merchant, clerk, burmistra, etc. ” ^[15] . However, as pointed out by prof. EF Buddha , objecting to the article by Ya. K. Grot “Karamzin in the History of the Russian Literary Language”, the word “ vile ” in the meaning of “low rank”, “simple estate” was used even before the 1920s. ^[sixteen]

In the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, published at the end of the XVIII – first half of the XIX century. specially for this purpose, the Russian Academy of Sciences , established in 1783 (from 1841 - II Branch of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences ), the compilation of which was started under the leadership of MV Lomonosov at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences , the meanings of the word vile change over time :

1st edition (1789–1794) ^[17]

1) on the kind (origin) - “of low origin, artificially ” and gives an example “ It came from vile parents ”;

2) about behavior - “ dishonestly acting, deserving of contempt ” and gives examples of the use of “ Vile soul ... Vile intentions, deeds ”.

2nd edition (1806–1822) ^[18]

The meanness ...

1) speaking of gender: " baseness, good-naturedness ";

2) “the property, quality or condition of the one who has a vile soul is low, despicable. Raised in meanness and meanness obscures the noble title . "

3rd edition (1847) ^[19]

In the dictionary of 1847, these values ​​are rearranged. The moral-evaluative: “ low, dishonest ” (“ Slander is a vile deed. Vile deeds ”) is already recognized as active, usable. The second meaning is defined as “ belonging to the mob, to the common people ” - and is explained by the expression “ vile people ”.

• Boltin I.N. Notes on the History of Ancient and Present Russia G. Leclerc. - T. 2 .. - Printed in the printing house of the Gornago College, 1788.
• Buddha E.F. Essay on the History of the Modern Literary Russian Language (XVII-XIX Century). - St. Petersburg: Printed by order of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1908 .; Reprint - M .: “KomKnig” a, 2005. - 144 p. - ISBN 5-484-00042-4 .
• Vinogradov V.V., Acad. History of words . :

• 1st ed .: History of words: about 1,500 words and expressions and more than 5,000 words associated with them / Ed. ed. N. Yu. Shvedova - M.: “Sense”, 1994. - 1138 p.
• 2nd ed. History of words - M .: Institute of the Russian Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1999. - Circulation of 3,000 copies. - ISBN 5-88744-033-3 , ISBN 5-89285-026-9 .
• 3rd ed .: History of words - 2010.

• Dolgorukaya N. B. Notes. - 1767 .:

• for the first time: Hand-written notes of Princess Natalia Borisovna Dolgoruky, daughter of Field Marshal Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev // Journal “Friend of the Youth” / ed. M.I. Nevzorov - 1810.
• Dolgorukaya N. B. Notes remaining on the death of Princess Natalya Borisovna Dolgoruka / Ed. HM Usova. Will enter. article and note. P.P. Smirnov. - St. Petersburg: Synod. typ., 1912. - 70 p.
• Dolgorukaya N. B. Hand-written notes of Princess Natalya Borisovna Dolgoruky’s daughter of Field Marshal Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev. - St. Petersburg: Printing house "Sirius", 1913. - 52 p.
• Hand-made notes of Princess Natalya Borisovna Dolgoruky’s daughter, Field Marshal Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev / Podg. text, afterword, approx. E.V. Anisimova . - SPb., 1992. - 144 p., Ill. - ISBN 5-280-01345-5 .

• Koyalovich M.O. History of Russian identity on historical monuments and scientific works. - SPb., 1901 ; M., 2011 .
• The experience of the regional Great Russian dictionary, published by the second branch of the Imperial Academy of Sciences . - St. Petersburg: Printing House of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1852. - 291 p. - ISBN 978-5-4460-8653-55.
• I. Pryzhov. History of taverns in Russia in connection with the history of the Russian people - St. Petersburg; M., 1868. - S. 245 .; Reprint - M.: “Heritage”, 2009 .
• Dictionary of the Russian Academy - in 6 parts. / 43,257 words. - SPb. : Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1789−1794 .
• The dictionary of the Russian Academy, in alphabetical order, is located in 6 parts. / 51,338 words. - SPb. : 1806-1822.
• Dictionary of Church Slavonic and Russian , compiled by the Second Division of the Imperial Academy of Sciences - in 4 volumes. / 114,749 words. - SPb. : At the Printing House of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1847.
• Vile people // Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language : in 4 volumes / chap. ed. B. M. Volin , D. N. Ushakov (t. 2-4); comp. G. O. Vinokur , B. A. Larin , S. I. Ozhegov , B. V. Tomashevsky , D. N. Ushakov ; under the editorship of D.N. Ushakova . - M .: State Publishing House of Foreign and National Dictionaries, 1939. - T. 3: P - Ryashka. - Stb. 403.
• Sukhomlinov MV. History of the Russian Academy. " Vol. 5. - SPb. : Printing House of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1880 .