Menshevik

Menshevik

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian меньшеви́к (menʹševík), derived from меньшинство́ (menʹšinstvó, “minority”), formed in turn from Russian ме́ньше (ménʹše), the comparative of ма́лый (mályj, “little”)[1].

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛnʃəvɪk/

Noun

Menshevik (plural Mensheviks or Mensheviki)

1. (now chiefly historical) A member of the gradualist or moderate wing of the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party during the years preceding the Russian Revolution, when they split with the Bolsheviks; or a member of a later independent moderate-Marxist party formed in 1917. [from 20th c.]
   • 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber 2003:

     ‘Better an ultra-leftist than a Menshevik,’ said Rosa Kaletsky.

Translations

member of a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement

Armenian: մենշեւիկ (hy) (menšewik) Belarusian: меншаві́к m (mjenšavík) Bulgarian: меншеви́к (bg) m (menševík) Catalan: menxevic m or f Chinese: Mandarin: 孟什維克／孟什维克 (zh) (mèngshíwéikè) Czech: menševik m Danish: mensjevik c Finnish: menševikki (fi), menshevikki French: menchevik (fr) m Georgian: მენშევიკი (menševiḳi) German: Menschewik m, Menschewikin f Japanese: メンシェヴィキ (mensheviki) Korean: 멘셰비키 (mensyebiki) Polish: mienszewik m Portuguese: menchevique (pt) m or f Russian: меньшеви́к (ru) m (menʹševík), меньшеви́чка (ru) f (menʹševíčka) Spanish: menchevique m or f Swedish: mensjevik c Ukrainian: меншови́к m (menšovýk)

See also

• Bolshevik

References

1. T.F. Hoad, Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, →ISBN; headword Menshevik