зэк
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word зэк. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word зэк, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say зэк in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word зэк you have here. The definition of the word зэк will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofзэк, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: зек
Russian
Alternative forms
- зек (zɛk)
Etymology
Shortening of заключённый каналоармеец (zaključónnyj kanaloarmejec), via the initialism З-К. Заключённый is the adjective "prisoner". Каналоармеец, "member of the canal army", was coined in an analogy with the words красноармеец meaning "member of the Red Army" or трудоармеец (member of a labor army). In 1932, when Anastas Mikoyan visited the construction of the White Sea – Baltic Canal, Lazar Kogan told him "Comrade Mikoyan, how shall we call them? (…) I thought up the word: 'kanaloarmeyets'. What do you think?" Mikoyan approved it."[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
зэк • (zɛk) m anim (genitive зэ́ка, nominative plural зэ́ки, genitive plural зэ́ков, feminine зэ́чка, relational adjective зэ́ковский)
Declension
References
- ^ "White Sea Baltic Canal named after Stalin. The History of the Construction" (Беломорско-Балтийский кана́л и́мени Сталина. Исто́рия строи́тельства. / Belomorsko-Baltiyskiy kanal imeni Stalina. Istoriya stroitel'stva) Moscow, 1934, p. 138