# All Slavic languages: Comrade



## Jana337

Hello, 

In this thread, a Polish forera had difficulty understanding the Czech/Slovak word that communists use(d) for their fellow party members. I realized that I have no clue what the word is in other Slavic languages (just in Russian).

So, could you please tell me
a) the word (both m and f),
b) whether it was a generally required way of addressing people (publicly),
c) what its status is today?

In Czech:
a) soudruh, soudružka,
b) yes, we had to say "soudružko učitelko" in the kindergarten, any official letter would start "Vážený soudruhu XY" and not "Vážený pane XY" etc.
c) quite a serious insult used in particular in politics to point out the dark past of some people, less frequently used elsewhere (its meaning ranging from sarcastic to scornful).

Thanks, 

Jana


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## inez31

Hello 

a) towarzysz, towarzyszka
b) we used to say: "Czołem towarzyszu" "Czołem towarzyszko" or in a simple way " Towarzyszu X...." Towarzyszko Y..."
c) nowadays it isn't used, only in a ironic or satirical sense. It can be also  considered as an insult if someone says it to a famous person, politics etc.

greetings


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## skye

a) tovariš, tovarišica
b) I guess it must have been a a generally acquired way of addressing people before my time, but in the 80s when I was a child, we mostly used these two words to refer to a teacher. We usually used the shortened form "tršica" not tovarišica. Otherwise mostly the politicians and officials used these two forms of address.
c) it's not used any more, I don't hear it very often, even children at school all call their teachers "učiteljica" now. I only heard "tršica" once or twice during my internship at school.


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## Thomas1

inez31 said:
			
		

> a) towarzysz, towarzyszka
> b) we used to say: "Czołem towarzyszu" "Czołem towarzyszko" or in a simple way " Towarzyszu X...." Towarzyszko Y..."
> c) nowadays it isn't used, only in a ironic or satirical sense. It can be also considered as an insult if someone says it to a famous person, politics etc.


It’s also worth mentioning the virile plural form: towarzysze. It was very often used when an official gave his speech to a congregation of people, at assemblages, etc.

Although, I was a kid when “towarzysz/towarzyszka” nomenclature was used, I remember it spoken only by state officials (politicians, militia officers, soldiers, etc.). It wasn’t used in everyday language of ordinary people, we didn’t use such words as simply many people were against the Communists and even many of those who supported them didn’t employ these terms in their casual conversations—they were very formal and despised by a lot. 
Also, some satirical sketches, like for example these by Laskowik and Smoleń used the words but only in order to lampoon and ridicule, the contemporary then, political system.

I agree on usage of the expressions listed by inez31, however, there are a few expressions which can be used nowadays and which don’t bear negative connotations, for instance:
“towarzysz broni” comrade-in-arms;
“towarzysz podróży”fellow-traveller; 
“towarzysz życia” life partner


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## alby

Croatian:

a) Drug (m), Drugarica (f)
b) We used it to address teachers as Drug or Drugarica, in political speaches, even a presedent was refered as Drug.It was the way you would address people.
c) It's not in use today, some older people still use it, youngs are using this words sarcasticly, I dont see it as an insult even though you can find people who will not like to be called that way or use that word at all.

Nataša


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## Juri

Slovenian
a) tovariš, tovarišica
b) generally required adressing way till 1989
c) not more used, with exception of "tovarišija" comradeship,
 "tovariški" friendly, with a bit of ironic sense;
 but curiously remaining in primary school, where pupils name today the female teacher " TRŠICA".


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## Thomas1

Jana337 said:
			
		

> In this thread, a Polish forera had difficulty understanding the Czech/Slovak word that communists use(d) for their fellow party members. I realized that I have no clue what the word is in other Slavic languages (just in Russian).
> [...]
> In Czech:
> a) soudruh, soudružka,
> [...]
> c) quite a serious insult used in particular in politics to point out the dark past of some people, less frequently used elsewhere (its meaning ranging from sarcastic to scornful).


 
I was wondering if the Communists in your country (then Czechoslovakia) used this word as well when addressing each others? If not, did they use any particular word? I'm asking about that since if a native hears the word "towarzysz" in Poland he's very likely to associate it with the previous political system and this in turn very often brings negative connotations (possible source of difficulties).


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## Jana337

Thomas1 said:
			
		

> I was wondering if the Communists in your country (then Czechoslovakia) used this word as well when addressing each others?


Sure, and they still do it. I am wondering why you asked the question - did I write anything that could point to a contrary conclusion?


> If not, did they use any particular word? I'm asking about that since if a native hears the word "towarzysz" in Poland he's very likely to associate it with the previous political system and this in turn very often brings negative connotations (possible source of difficulties).


 Same in my country.

Jana


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## Thomas1

Jana337 said:
			
		

> Sure, and they still do it. I am wondering why you asked the question - did I write anything that could point to a contrary conclusion?


No. Well, I asked about that since I simply wanted to make sure if it was used this way (unless something passed by unnoticed by me ). You wrote that it is used nowadays to point out someone's dark past which could mean many things.


Cheers,
Thomas


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## Jana337

Oh yes, I meant a dark (or red? ) _political_ past. 

Jana


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## Juri

Communist party members use today in Italy rarely "compagno" 
(comrade, companion), always with the second person "tu, compagno..."
But the origin of compagno is nice, coming from the latin 
"cum panis",means eating the same bread. Today is very used as life companion-compagno di vita,( partner), soldier fellow-compagno d'armi, schoolfriend-c.di scuola,travelling companion-c.di viaggio, 
c. di scuola, room-mate -c.di stanza,and more.


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## Maja

In  Serbian:

a)  Drug/drugarica
b) It was generally required way of addressing people; terms "gospodin/gospođica/gospođa" (Mr./Miss/Mrs.), used before WWII, were almost forbidden because they were emphasizing (but only in Communists' heads!!!) class differences between aristocracy and middle and lower class (especially farmers and peasants).
c) Well, since the real meaning of the word "drug" is "friend", it is still in use, but mostly among youngsters because adults mainly use word "prijatelj/prijateljica". It is considered rude to formally address someone in such a manner today. "Gospodin/gospođica/gospođa" are back in usage!

Ćao!


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## Athaulf

Maja said:


> In  Serbian:
> 
> a)  Drug/drugarica
> b) It was generally required way of addressing people; terms "gospodin/gospođica/gospođa" (Mr./Miss/Mrs.), used before WWII, were almost forbidden because they were emphasizing (but only in Communists' heads!!!) class differences between aristocracy and middle and lower class (especially farmers and peasants).
> c) Well, since the real meaning of the word "drug" is "friend", it is still in use, but mostly among youngsters because adults mainly use word "prijatelj/prijateljica". It is considered rude to formally address someone in such a manner today. "Gospodin/gospođica/gospođa" are back in usage!



It's pretty much the same in Croatia, except that "drug" nowadays has a much worse status. You'll almost never hear it used in Croatia nowadays except jokingly or as a scornful term for former Communists.


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## Kriviq

Bulgarian:
a) другарю, другарко,
b) yes, it was,
c) socialists(former communists) still use them at their gatherings.


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