Muzhiks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term for Russian peasants, often used to refer to the agrarian working class during the Tsarist era
2. It signifies individuals from rural backgrounds, emphasizing traditional roots and agricultural life
3. Denoting a historic social class in Russia, characterized by serfdom and a life tied to the land

Etymology: "Muzhiks" is the plural of "muzhik," a Russian word for a peasant man. The singular "muzhik" goes back to the Russian "мужик," itself rooted in the older Russian word "муж" (muzh), meaning "man," the same root that gives the sense of a grown male as opposed to a boy or a woman. Peasant status was thus defined by a plain fact of gender rather than by land or rank. Over time the word came to carry a stronger social meaning. Among the educated classes of the Tsarist era, "muzhik" was used for the rural working population as a whole, and it could be affectionate or condescending depending on the speaker. In English, the plural form is the one most often met in histories of pre-revolutionary Russia, where "muzhiks" stands for the mass of agricultural labourers who made up most of the empire's population.

Synonyms: peasants, farmers, laborers