Sharing information, news and events with other people is an integral part of socialization. Gossips fuel interest by supporting rumors and popularity with certain individuals. But then why is the snitch a negative designation of the person supplying the data and where did it come from?
Etymology
Jargon is used everywhere, having long been entrenched in slang, as part of the modern Russian language. Now the meaning of the word "snitch", has several variations:
- A man freely spreading about someone else's secret, secret, trouble, illegal actions.
- Traitor delivering personal information to law enforcement.
- A person who benefits by denouncing another person.
Having found out that the snitch means an unscrupulous person who cannot be trusted, you should learn about the formation of the word. When comparing phrases and associations, it is difficult to determine the appearance of such a person.
Historical roots
The origin of the word is connected with the history of the world, since it goes far into the past, having endured lexical transformations when borrowing meaning and forming a familiar look.
In ancient Greece, a scammer who betrayed a master or groundlessly hung a crime on another citizen under a false pretext was called a “sycophant”. Literally translated as a slanderer, a blackmailer.
Ancient Rome believed that the "delatorium" or "informer" were informants closely associated with the judicial system. The legal structure of that century was built in such a way that any person could inform the neighbor and initiate proceedings in the case. Often, dealerships made false accusations against wealthy people in order to get some of their confiscated property for irregular tax payments.
With the advent of the Catholic Church, the Congregation of the Index appeared, where the famous holy inquisition also participated. The employees of the organization had a negative color, comparable to what the word snitch means. The Pope kept records with the names of regular scammers who were paid for the uniqueness of the data.
In England in 1785, when the country was overtaken by famine and theft was actively developing, a person who sold useful information about people was called an “informant”. Previously, this meaning was tied to the phrase "click on the nose" in 1670. In the slang of the underworld, it meant excessive curiosity. The “Informant” gained the greatest popularity at the beginning of the 19th century and was entrenched in all unscrupulous people who were wasteful of personal secrets and family secrets.
In Russia, at the turn of the 20th century, it was believed that an informer is a night watchman using a wooden fixture while going around the territory to beat the clock.
Pugilists acting in arenas or competitions got a similar name. They walked in a crowd, took bets on victory and tried to earn extra money by physical force. It was believed that where the snitch hits, there will remain a hole.
Crime jargon
In the second half of the 20th century, when the USSR was formed, the word acquired a negative meaning among Russian people. Settled prisoners who remained in solitary confinement continued to communicate with the help of banging. Often, prisoners wrote the alphabet on their own, so that prison guards could not catch the thread of conversation. The transmission time of one letter varied up to two minutes, which indicates the slowness of the method, but it also helped not to be left alone.
“Knocking” in the broad sense has come to be used as a “secret talk”. Initially, she drew attention to the harmless transfer of information between two prisoners, but later turned into an insulting form.
Synonyms
The expression is found in a prison environment and modern slang, denoting an intentional betrayal and reporting of facts to third parties. Similar words by the meaning of "informer" are highlighted in the explanatory dictionary of G.A. Krylov:
- Sneak.
- Informer.
- Traitor.
- Informant.
- Informant.
- Agent.
So paraphrasing helps to pick up a more delicate designation, not backed up by a negative connotation.
Modern application
The word is used in a negative light, demonstrating the worst qualities of a person - betrayal, not the ability to keep secrets, excessive talkativeness.
In an insulting form, the treatment “rat” is used. In a figurative sense, indicates an invasion of personal territory with further theft of resources. The last to speak is the data on the actions of people.
The word is not used by adolescents in a harsh, rude form, slipping in a speech with an insulting statement taken due to the established jargon in Russian films, free authorial narration in books or in ordinary conversation.
Negative color
The attitude of the people towards an unscrupulous power structure played a negative role for most of the employees since the times of the USSR. So in Ancient Rome - the government was appreciated and respected by the locals, as in Greece, because it acted fairly. The events of World War II put the country at risk, spoiled foreign and domestic policies, putting the institution of power in an unfair management light.
Motivated by a sum of money, property, reputation, career, or saving the lives of loved ones, an informer is not necessarily an adult, he could be a child or a pensioner. In the criminal environment, the highest level of betrayal was considered to be testifying against another authoritative prisoner.
Positive denunciations are attributed to police officers who are on the side of the law and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. The benefit of being a "snitch" was also revealed when testifying in the courtroom to record the criminal actions of intruders.
Thus, a person supplying data to authorities or officials, in particular, is perceived by society negatively.