зэк
See also: зек
Russian
Alternative forms
- зек (zɛk)
Etymology
Shortening of заключённый каналоармеец (zaključónnyj kanaloarmejec), via the initialism З-К. Каналоармеец 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
- IPA(key): [zɛk]
Audio (file)
Noun
зэк • (zɛk) m anim (genitive зэ́ка, nominative plural зэ́ки, genitive plural зэ́ков)
- (colloquial) convict, inmate
Declension
Declension of зэк (anim masc-form velar-stem accent-a)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | зэ́к zɛ́k | зэ́ки zɛ́ki |
| genitive | зэ́ка zɛ́ka | зэ́ков zɛ́kov |
| dative | зэ́ку zɛ́ku | зэ́кам zɛ́kam |
| accusative | зэ́ка zɛ́ka | зэ́ков zɛ́kov |
| instrumental | зэ́ком zɛ́kom | зэ́ками zɛ́kami |
| prepositional | зэ́ке zɛ́ke | зэ́ках zɛ́kax |
Synonyms
- ЗеКа (ZeKa)
- ЗК (ZK)
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