The term was first used in Italy in the 1250s. So called mercenary warriors who received money for the service. The origin of the word "soldier" is taken from the reformed name of the Italian coin of small exchange, which was called a soldo. That said that the value of the service of such a person is petty, as is the price of his life.
Meaning of the word “soldier” in explanatory dictionaries
To simplify the meaning of the term, definitions from dictionaries are minimized and also eliminated from ambiguity and systematized in one article:
- Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language: this is an element of the army, called "warrior". All his expenses are paid from the state treasury, and he is paid a salary. In a broader sense, a soldier is an inferior military rank, that is, he has just joined the army and did not have any rank.
- In the collection "Explanation of 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language with the meaning of their roots" - this is the minimum military rank, a soldier without a rank.
- The new dictionary of foreign words gives three definitions of the word, described below:
- Part of the rank and file in the army.
- A soldier is a military man or has served in the army.
- In a non-literal sense, this is a person who has completely given herself to any business.
Not only do people have their own soldiers who protect them from enemies. In the animal kingdom there is a species of Amazon ants, or in other words, “soldiers”. They lead a parasitic way of life and capture other brothers in appearance as slaves. But this is not because of their bad character, but because without the help of other ants they cannot feed themselves or build a dwelling.
Let's turn to the history
Unlike European countries, where mercenary wars were considered soldiers, the lower ranks in the army carried this name in Russia. After the proletarian revolution of 1917, the place of a soldier was replaced by a Red Army soldier or just a fighter. In 1946, they decided to return the category of soldiers.
Examples of use
In Russian folklore, a soldier is smart and quick-witted, as expressed in literature. For example, the fairy-tale “Porridge from the Ax”, which has been known to many since childhood , tells how a tired and hungry warrior asked for a stand by a greedy woman and her peasant henpecked.
It was savvy that helped the soldier prepare for himself a delicious porridge with lard, having outwitted a stupid and mean old woman. There are many similar examples of ways out of a difficult situation by valiant warriors in literature, which means that they are based on the real characters of Russian people. An example is "Tales of Suvorov and Russian soldiers.