# Farmer



## ThomasK

How do you translate 'farmer' in your language? Do you have derivations with some connotation? 

There may be several terms, as in English*: 
Dutch: 
- *landbouwer *(land-cultivator [lit. builder], very objective)
- _*boer*__ (_general, often loaded with a connotation)
- _fairly uncommon now:* hereboer *_('lord-farmer'literally, a [very] rich farmer, who does not need to work on the field himselfsometimes) 
- _*boers *_(behaving in some rude way) 


*English distinguishes between _*peasants*_and _*farmers*_, I think, which refers to poor and rich farmers, or even workers and owners. It is not quiteclear to me whether a peasant in English can own a farm. 

In French there is *fermier *vs. *paysan*, I believe. I found this interesting explanation for _paysan _at Wikipédia:


> Un *paysan *est une personne tirant des ressources de la nature proche de son habitat. Ilpeut adopter ou subir une économie de subsistance.


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## DearPrudence

Actually, in *French*, the PC and modern term is
*"agriculteur, agricultrice"*

"*fermier, fermière*" sounds a bit old (but can be used by the farmers themselves if they wish so I would say)
and as le Larousse says, "*paysan, paysanne*" can have pejorative connotations.


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## ThomasK

I should have remembered: you're right. It would be interesting to find out more about these (very subtle) differences: how come _peasant/ paysan _have that negative ring? How come _fermier _sounds old? Etc. Might be too broad though, lead us too far (astray ?). I do guess that 'fermier' sounds old-fashioned, because it is no longer only descriptive. The funny thing is that in Dutch politicians might refer to 'agrarische bedrijfsleiders'  [agrarian firm-leaders] nowadays, rather than 'landbouwers', because the new term offers more status, more prestige...


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## Rallino

In Turkish it's *çiftçi*  /t͡ʃift't͡ʃi/

It comes from the word _çift_, which means _couple/double/two of an item_. A farm is *çiftlik*, which suggests _a field cultivated with the help of a couple of oxen_. And I suppose *çiftçi* is the person who possesses those 'two' animals.

There is also *köylü* (villager), but it can be deregatory.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:

*Farmer*: 

A/ *«Αγρότης, -τισσα»* [a'ɣrotis] (masc.), [a'ɣrotisa] (fem.) --> _farmer_ < Classical masc. noun *«ἀγρότης & ἀγρώτης» ăgrótēs & ăgrṓtēs* --> _countryman, rustic_; there existed a feminine form, *«ἀγρότις» ăgrótis*, reserved for the land nymphs (PIE h₂eǵ-ro-, _field_, cf Skt. अज्र (ajra), _field_; Lat. ager, _field, farm_ > It./Sp./Por. agro, Fr. aire, Rom. agru).

B/ *«Γεωργός, -γός»* [ʝe.or'ɣos] (masc. & fem.) < Classical masc. noun *«γεωργός» gĕōrgós* --> _farmer, husbandman_ (in Sparta, _tax farmer_); Compound, fem. noun *«γῆ» gê* --> _earth, soil, land_ (with uncertain etymology) + neut. noun *«ἔργον» érgŏn* --> _work_ (PIE *werǵ-, _work_). From *«γεωργός»* the well-known male first name *«Γεώργιος»* (George), derives.

 We use A & B interchangeably. Perhaps a slight difference between the two is that an *«αγρότης»* can also be a pastoralist. A *«γεωργός»* is strictly the land cultivator.

_Edit:_ Rallino we too use *«τσιφλικάς»* [t͡sifli'kas] (masc.) for the owner of large landed estate-which is a *«τσιφλίκι»* [t͡si'flici] (neut.), but it's derogatory. Obviously a Turkish loan.


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## Rallino

> _Edit:_ Rallino we too use *«τσιφλικάς»* [t͡sifli'kas] (masc.) for the owner of large landed estate-which is a *«τσιφλίκι»* [t͡si'flici] (neut.), but it's derogatory. Obviously a Turkish loan.



And you've just reminded me that we use _*ırgat*_ as well, which is a Greek loan, from the word *εργάτης*.


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## ThomasK

The funny thing is that a German farmer just told me that _Yuri _in Russian referred to _George_(s) in English/ French and meant 'farmer' indeed. He and his wife happened to have chose that as their dog's name, and only later found out how well it fit in with their work !


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## bibax

Czech:

*zemědělec* (< _*země*_ = land, earth, soil, related to Latin humus; ob_*děl*_ávati = to cultivate < _*děl*_ati = to do, to make, _*-ec*_ = agentive suffix) = agriculturer, a general neutral term (probably a calque from Latin _*agricola*_ or Greek _*γεωργός*_) for all agricolae from the Neolithic era to the present day; zemědělství = agricultura; zemědělský (výrobek) = agricultural (product);

*sedlák* (< *_*sědlo*_, u_*sedl*_ost = homestead, farmstead) = farmer, husbandman (I never heard the term before, husband means something else, of course). In the past (after the abolition of serfdom) the _sedláks_ formed an important social and political class. After the communist coup d'état in 1948 they were violently forced to create the unified collective farms (with the _rolníks_). Now the word _sedlák_ is a bit outdated. _Sedlák_ is also a literary archetype (e.g. in fairy tales: rich/greedy/clever/dumb/etc. sedlák). The feminine form: *selka* (< *sedlka).

*statkář* (< _*statek*_ = homestead, estate) = a landowner, a richer _sedlák_;
*velkostatkář* (velký = big) = a bigger _statkář_; both _statkář _and _velkostatkář_ are outdated;

*rolník* (< _*role*_ = a piece of field) = a poorer villager, usually tenant of a small croft; his social status was bellow of that of the _sedláks_. The word _rolník_ was widely used by the communists, the _rolníks_ (symbolized by sickle) and the _dělníks_ (= the factory workers, symbolized by hammer) formed the working class. The word _rolník_ is rarely used nowadays.

*družstevník* (< _*družstvo*_ = co-op, collective < _*druh*_ = mate, companion, partner) = coop-member. After 1948 the _sedláks_ and the _rolníks_ became _družstevníks_ (in Soviet Russia _kolkhoznik_ < _kolkhoz_ колхоз = collective farm).

In history there were also:

zeman (< *zeměnín < země = land) = yeoman;
dvořák (< dvůr = yard, court, courtyard) = free husbandman;
svobodný (= free) sedlák, svobodník = free husbandman;
láník = tenant of 1 lán (= oxgang, die Hufe, hoeve);
pololáník, půlník = tenant of 1/2 lán;
čtvrtláník, čtvrtník = tenant of 1/4 lán;
nevolník = serf;
etc.

Zeman, Sedlák, Svobodník, Dvořák, Láník, Pololáník, Čtvrtník are also common Czech surnames.


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## ThomasK

Quite interesting, thanks !


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## aruniyan

Farmer in Tamil

_*uzhavar*_(ulavar) : from the word _*Ulavu*_(to plough), _*Ulakkai*_(the plough) - this word refers _taking something inside_, (ie.) making of the land fit for seeding.

_*vElaalar*_ : from the word *vEl* (Protect) 

*vivasaayi* : (from Sanskrit)


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## ThomasK

So there are three words based on three different roots. I just checked whether our _plough/ ploeg _could have to do with two, opening up into two parts, and our etymologiebank.nl refers to that possibility.  But would you be able to comment on the other two roots, and especially on the link between farming and protecting? Or does it refer to protecting the soil, as in Hebrew _shamar_, which seems to mean something like guarding and fig. observing rules?


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## aruniyan

vElaalar, vElaalanmai = Farming : in the sense of _using/giving in  times OF NEED._

vivasayi : Sanskrit word vaisya (not sure about the root)


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## ThomasK

The Sanskrit word probably means:



> Sanskrit vaiśyaʰ, _settler, homesteader_, from viśaʰ, _house_; see weik-1 in Indo-European roots.


 I just found out that the _band_ in _husband_ has the same as _Bauer/boer_ (German/ Dutch) : 


> from _*bu-_"to dwell," from PIE root _*bheue-_ "tobe, exist, dwell"


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## arielipi

Hebrew:

A vegetable farmer is - חקלאי khaqlay.
A cattle farmer is - חוואי khavay.
A peasant is איכר icar, also יוגב yogev.


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## ThomasK

But then no _shamar _anymore, Arielipi ?


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## ancalimon

Rallino said:


> In Turkish it's *çiftçi*  /t͡ʃift't͡ʃi/
> 
> It comes from the word _çift_, which means _couple/double/two of an item_. A farm is *çiftlik*, which suggests _a field cultivated with the help of a couple of oxen_. And I suppose *çiftçi* is the person who possesses those 'two' animals.



I think çiftçi is the person who "produces ~ reproduces plants and animals".  As in çiftleştirmek (to cause to breed, to cause to replicate). I don't think it's directly related with "two".

There is also the possibility that it comes from çivitçi which means "indigo producer". But I don't think so.


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## Maroseika

ThomasK said:


> The funny thing is that a German farmer just told me that _Yuri _in Russian referred to _George_(s) in English/ French and meant 'farmer' indeed. He and his wife happened to have chose that as their dog's name, and only later found out how well it fit in with their work !



Strictly speaking, Γεώργιος is not a farmer, but, more particularly, - a ploughman, from γεωργία - treatment of earth < γῆ - earth and ἀρόω - to plough (cf. Russian орать - the same).
Russian Yuriy < Gyurgi < Γεώργιος.
By the way, there is another Russian derivative from this Greek name: Yegor < Yegorei/Gegorei/Yegorgei < Γεώργιος.


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## apmoy70

I'm afraid both Beekes (Etymological Dictionary of Greek, _p.270_) and Babiniotis (Lexicon of Modern Greek, _p.412_) associate «γεωργός», «γεωργία» & «Γεώργιος» with «ἔργον» (PIE *werǵ-, _work_) and not with «ἀρόω» (PIE *h₂erh₃-, _to plough_ cf Lat. arō; Rus. орать):
Beekes --> «γη-ϝοργός» or «γη-ϝεργός» & Doric «γαβεργός»
Babiniotis --> «γᾱ-ϝοργός»
Thus, «Γεώργιος» is lit. _the worker (i.e. cultivator) of land_


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## arielipi

ThomasK said:


> But then no _shamar _anymore, Arielipi ?


שמר is the word for gaurd/ed, its used for guarding reasons - if one is gaurding and a farmer then hes more like נוטר noter.


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## ThomasK

I see that it means 'guard' now, but could you please explain the clause "a farmer then has (?)..." ? I suppose you are suggesting farming is more than guarding.


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## arielipi

I actually said hes[=he's].


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## ThomasK

He's more like a noter then ? _(I'm sorry, I cannot read the Hebrew sign)_


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## arielipi

ThomasK said:


> He's more like a noter then ? _(I'm sorry, I cannot read the Hebrew sign)_


yes.


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## AquisM

农夫/農夫 (nong fu) is the standard term for farmer in Chinese. It literally means farm/agriculture (农/農) man (夫).


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## ThomasK

I had been wondering about this word 'noter', but now I found an explanation: it is a guard, I understand (I am sorry):  





> a Jewish 'Noter' (guard) in Eretz-Israel/Palestine from the period 1936-48.


 But I understand there is no link whatsoever with farming in Hebrew (there isn't any in the languages I know either, I now realize).


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## arielipi

ThomasK said:


> I had been wondering about this word 'noter', but now I found an explanation: it is a guard, I understand (I am sorry):   But I understand there is no link whatsoever with farming in Hebrew (there isn't any in the languages I know either, I now realize).



Correct but a noter is used in modern hebrew for one guarding farms.


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## Maroseika

apmoy70 said:


> I'm afraid both Beekes (Etymological Dictionary of Greek, _p.270_) and Babiniotis (Lexicon of Modern Greek, _p.412_) associate «γεωργός», «γεωργία» & «Γεώργιος» with «ἔργον» (PIE *werǵ-, _work_) and not with «ἀρόω» (PIE *h₂erh₃-, _to plough_ cf Lat. arō; Rus. орать):
> Beekes --> «γη-ϝοργός» or «γη-ϝεργός» & Doric «γαβεργός»
> Babiniotis --> «γᾱ-ϝοργός»
> Thus, «Γεώργιος» is lit. _the worker (i.e. cultivator) of land_


Thank you very much for correction.


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## sakvaka

Finnish.

maanviljelijä = farmer, 'land-cultivator'

Historic terms:

talonpoika = peasant, 'the boy of the house'
maaorja = serf, 'soil slave'


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## mataripis

Tagalog: 1.) Farmer= Magsasaka/magbubukid   2.) farm= Sakahan/Bukid


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## ThomasK

So I guess 'mag' is a noun prefix. Isn't there some difference between the two ?


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## jana.bo99

Farmer

In German: Landwirt, Gutsherr, Bauer

In Slovenian: kmet 

In Croatian: poljoprivrednik, seljak

Beside that Germans and Croatians say also: Farmer


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## Grefsen

Here are three words that can be used to mean farmer in Norwegian:

_bonde, gårdbruker_ (farm + user), _landbruker_  (land + user)

I've sometimes heard _bonde _used in a derogatory manner by Norwegians when they are referring to someone who is unsophisticated and/or lives in a small town. Two Norwegian words for a farm are _gård _and _gårdbruk _and one of the Norwegian words used for agriculture is _landbruk._


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## clansaorsa

In Scots Gaelic the word we used for farmer (the occupation of my grandfather) was gabhaltaiche. (I apologise in advance to the seemingly rather pedantic Irishman out there if my spelling is inaccurate or, God forbid, I've missed out an accent - I was never taught to write the language just to speak a little bit of it).


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## ThomasK

Grefsen said:


> Here are three words that can be used to mean farmer in Norwegian:
> 
> _bonde, gårdbruker_ (farm + user), _landbruker_  (land + user)


Interesting. We have gebruiken as well, but we'd never say 'een landgebruiker'. Yet, 'gebruiken' refer to the same root as 'fruit', and so implies enjoying, which I find an interesting link (because it adds a dimension beyond mere 'instrumentality'...).


Grefsen said:


> Here are three words that can be used to mean farmer in Norwegian:
> 
> _bonde, gårdbruker_ (farm + user), _landbruker_  (land + user)


 Interesting. We have gebruiken as well, but we'd never say 'een landgebruiker'. Yet, 'gebruiken' refer to the same root as 'fruit', and so implies enjoying, which I find an interesting link (because it adds a dimension beyond mere 'instrumentality'...).


clansaorsa said:


> In Scots Gaelic the word we used for farmer (the occupation of my grandfather) was gabhaltaiche.


Would you be able to comment on the origin/ structure of the word?


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## rusita preciosa

Russian:
*фермер* /fermer/ - the modern word for farmer, borrowed from English
*крестьянин* /krestyanin/ - general word for a person who lives and works in the country (comes from the word "christian") - slightly outdated
*земледелец* /zemledelets/ - lit. land-doer (someone who grows crops)
*хлебороб * /khleborob/ - lit. bread-worker (someone who grows grains, specifically wheat)
*животновод* /zhivotnovod/ - lit. animal-breeder (someone who takes care of farm animals)
*колхозник* /kolkhoznik/ - lit. col-farm-er (soviet term for workers of collective farms); could be a derogatory term for someone unsophisticated / uneducated
*деревенский житель */derevenskiy zhitel/ - country/village dweller (general term for someone who lives in the country as opposed to the city, regardless of occupation)


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## clansaorsa

ThomasK said:


> Would you be able to comment on the origin/ structure of the word?


The first part of the word 'gabhaltaiche' comes, I believe, from the root 'gabh' meaning 'take' or 'receive' with 'gabhail' being a leased farm - a very common practice in the feudal system widespread in Scotland - and 'gabhaltaiche' the person who farmed it.


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## ThomasK

rusita preciosa said:


> Russian:
> *крестьянин* /krestyanin/ - general word for a person who lives and works in the country (comes from the word "christian") - slightly outdated
> *хлебороб * /khleborob/ - lit. bread-worker (someone who grows grains, specifically wheat)
> *деревенский житель */derevenskiy zhitel/ - country/village dweller (general term for someone who lives in the country as opposed to the city, regardless of occupation)


Thanks. Some extra questions:
- What is the link with religion? 
-Do you other /borob/'s ? 
- Are those 'dwellers' per se farmers? (I suppose it is more like peasants, land workers, often not owning a farm or land...)


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## rusita preciosa

ThomasK said:


> Thanks. Some extra questions:
> - What is the link with religion? - I guess it any peasant or representative of the country people/masses was automatically thought of as Christian
> 
> -Do you other /borob/'s ? - the structure is *хлебороб */khleb-o-rob/, where khleb- meand "bread", -*o-* is a connecting vowel, -rob is root for "work". The only similar structure I can think of is cotton picker, *хлопк**о**роб* /khlopk-o-rob/ (lit. cotton worker), but there could be others.
> 
> - Are those 'dwellers' per se farmers? (I suppose it is more like peasants, land workers, often not owning a farm or land...) - no, it could be anyone who does not live in a city - a farm hand, a farm owner, a school teacher, a priest, a retiree, etc; it also does not imply ownership of land.


There is a term for land owner *земле**владелец */zemlevladelets/ which literally means landowner. It usually means someone who owns land in the country, but in principle can mean owner of any land.


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## apmoy70

And a derogatory name in Greek:

*«Αγροίκος»* [a'ɣrikos] (masc.) and rare *«αγροίκα»* [a'ɣrika] (fem.) --> _lout, boorish, coarse_ < Byz. Greek *«ἀγροῖκος» aɣroîkos (masc. & fem.)* --> _countryman/woman, naive person_ < Classical adj. *«ἄγροικος, -ος, -ον» ắgroikŏs (masc. & fem.), ắgroikŏn (neut.)* --> _person dwelling in the fields, countryman/woman_ < compound, masc. noun *«ἀγρός» āgrós* --> _field, farm_ (PIE h₂eǵ-ro-, _field_ cf Skt. अज्र (ajra), _field_; Lat. ager, _field, farm_ > It./Sp./Por. agro, Fr. aire, Rom. agru) + masc. noun *«οἶκος» oîkŏs* --> _house, dwelling place, household_ (PIE *ueiḱ-/*uoiḱ-, _house_ cf Skt विश् (viz), _people, tribe_; Lat. vīcus, _village, quarter_)


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## ThomasK

I wonder about any connotations, especially *derogatory connotations*. Apmoy is just suggesting there is a derogatory name for 'farmer', but I am not sure I can recognize anything derogatory in the other examples.


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## Outsider

In Portuguese you can choose between:

- _agricultor_ (a cognate of English agriculture) from Latin literally "field cultivator" (~farmer).

- _camponês_, country dweller (~peasant).

- _lavrador_, ploughman.

The latter two are somewhat old-fashioned or literary. None of these words is derogatory per se as far as I know, at least nowadays, but there is for example _campónio_ meaning "hick".


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## arielipi

In hebrew a derogatory word would be פלאח falakh.


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## Yondlivend

ThomasK said:


> I wonder about any connotations, especially *derogatory* *connotations*. Apmoy is just suggesting there is a derogatory name for 'farmer', but I am not sure I can recognize anything derogatory in the other examples.


Latin _villanus_ seemed to develop that way in romance languages, and gave English the term _villain_.  This word could be used to mean "farmer" in Middle English as well, and with this historic sense it exists in the form _villein_.  I'm not aware of any that uses the word in the sense of farmer today.

Its derogatory sense came early, as can be seen in this Old Occitan lyric:
_E tenhatz lo por vilan qui no l’enten_

And when it entered English from French (around 1300 according to etymonline) it already had (somewhat) negative connotations.  There's a quote in the entry for _villain_ which describes the semantic shift of the term in English, which may be paralleled in other languages as well:


> c.1300, "base or low-born rustic," from Anglo-French and Old French _villain_, from Medieval Latin _villanus_ "farmhand," from Latin _villa_ "country house" (see *villa*).
> 
> The most important phases of the sense development of this word may be summed up as follows: 'inhabitant of a farm; peasant; churl, boor; clown; miser; knave, scoundrel.' Today both Fr. vilain and Eng. villain are used only in a pejorative sense. [Klein]


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## ThomasK

Very interesting contribution. It reminds me of _dorpeling _in medieval Dutch, as opposed to a member of the court, a villager literally, but mainly a person form the village, a little bit like a peasant, I think, or a villain...


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## nimak

Macedonian:

*земјоделец* (zemjódelec) _masc_. lit. "an earth/land-doer";
*полјоделец* (poljódelec) _masc_. lit. "a field-doer";

*Земја* (Zémja) _fem_. = "Earth (planet)";​*земја* (zémja) _fem_. = "earth", "soil", "ground", "land", "country";​*поле* (póle) _neut_. = "field";​"*делец*" ("delec") _archaism, Old Slavic_ = "doer", "worker"; cf. *делник* (délnik) _masc_. = "workday";​
There is also a word:
*селанец* (sélanec) _masc_., which literally means someone who lives in a village/countryside, "villager", "countryman"; but in English it is also sometimes translated as "peasant", "farmer";

*село* (sélo) _neut_. = "village", "countryside";​


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## ThomasK

Excellent  information, great!


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## apmoy70

This thread reminded me that in rural areas, at least till the mid-20th c. the name *«ζευγάς»* [zevˈɣas] (masc.) was used for _the plougher_ < *«ζεῦγος» zeû̯gŏs* (neut.) cognate with Eng. yoke. «Ζευγάς» is the farmer who ploughs by driving a pair of oxen or horses/mules.
Another interesting (rustic) now obsolete name is *«ζευγολάτης»* [zev.ɣɔˈla.tis] (masc.) --> _driver of a pair of beasts for ploughing_ < «ζεῦγος» + Classical v. *«ἑλαύνω» hĕlaú̯nō* --> _to drive, set in motion_.
The latter, produced the v. *«ζευγολατώ»* [zev.ɣɔ.laˈtɔ] or *«ζευγηλατώ»* [zev.ʝi.laˈtɔ] --> _to plough by driving a pair of beasts_.


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## ThomasK

The plowman (as in the ploughman's lunch in England) must have been important, but I suspect he was only a labourer working for a farmer. Wikipedia suggests that as an explanation. But maybe there is some presupposition with me linking up farming and property, which might not always be the case for the farmer key words…


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## Awwal12

ThomasK said:


> The plowman (as in the ploughman's lunch in England) must have been important, but I suspect he was only a labourer working for a farmer.


In Russian пахарь (pákhar') or, dialectally, оратай (oratáy) - lit. "plougher" - is just a man who is ploughing at the moment. (Hired agricultural workers were something not very common even at the beginning of the XX century.)


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## ThomasK

It reminds me of a "*carter*", de _boever _in Flemish, the man driving the horse-drawn chariot (or ...) or leading the horses. He belonged to the staff, but there is no direct link with a farmer... Maybe a _*bouvier *_in French, but I cannot find confirmation of that…


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## eliashuber76

German: der Bauer
Swiss German:  de Bur


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