Recently, new words appear more and more often in our native Russian language. We can define some of them practically without problems, without even thinking too much and without choosing phrases. And there are some that are quite different. Do you think these are some particularly rare lexical units? Not at all. Try, for example, to complete the statement: "Khach is …". Isn't it possible to give a definitive answer? But this word has not left the language of not only Muscovites, but also many Russians in general for several years now.
In this article we will focus on the representatives of this people. Readers will receive answers to many questions, including who a khach really is, where did this word come from and what is its etymology. In addition, issues related to the history, culture and traditions of people of such, as it turned out, a fairly common nationality in Russia will be touched upon.
Khach is… We give a general definition of the concept
Using this word itself or the alleged diminutive version of “khachik” in their vocabulary, few people think about its true meaning. The lexical unit itself came from one of the forms of the Armenian name Khachatur -Khachik. In colloquial speech, it is most often used in relation to people of Caucasian nationality and today it is considered an offensive national nickname. Although earlier almost all Armenians or, say, Tatars were called that. But, like many words of the Russian language, this word has lost its original meaning and turned into slang. Initially, in Russian, only the form "khachik" was used, corresponding to the common name. And, as is often the case with national nicknames, it has already been reduced to the form “khach” over time.
Etymology
In translation from the Armenian language, “khach” means “cross”, and “khachik”, respectively, means “cross”. Therefore, at first glance, these words have practically nothing to do with the humiliation of the dignity of certain nationalities. In addition, according to many, their use in speech can express direct hostility to the Christian faith.
Scientific approach
Since these both words are of Armenian origin, and the people of this nationality profess Christianity, then, in fact, their use in an offensive form should be applied specifically to immigrants from Armenia. But nowadays, due to the lack of awareness of the meaning of these words, they are used as a label for all persons of Caucasian nationality.
Who we call khachs
Interestingly, in modern Russian this word practically no longer has a direct relation to Armenians and refers to people of non-Slavic appearance,living in the southwestern part of the country. For local residents of Belarus and some regions of Russia that are not historically connected with the Caucasus, as well as for other nationalist-minded people, "khach" is now a common noun in relation to all Caucasians. Although followers of Islam are sometimes called so, and this is most likely due to the similarity of the national mentality, traditions and moral and ethical qualities of the indigenous population of the Caucasus, Asia and the Middle East.
Tatars are khachi? What makes these people special?
Most of the first Tatars were born in Tatarstan, while the rest are connected with other Russian regions where their ancestors lived. Nowadays, a quarter of all Tatars live in Tatarstan together with people of different nationalities. Another part of them is scattered throughout Russia, as well as near and far abroad. In general, almost all of Russia can be considered the birthplace of this people. The ancestors of modern representatives lived in the Tambov and Nizhny Novgorod regions, in the Northern Black Sea region, in Mordovia, in the lower reaches of the Volga, Oka and Don, as well as in the lands of the Kuban. Many Russians, Cossacks, Ukrainians who inhabit these places are already relatives of the Tatar people.
The process of development of the ethnogenesis of the Tatars has a difficult path, and the whole history of the Turkic-speaking people is closely connected with the Slavic ethnos. Many generations of these peoples lived side by side, communicated and created joint families, served in the Russian army, while maintaining Islam. Even now, many Tatars play a huge role in many areas.political, economic, scientific and cultural life of Russia. Of course, friendly relations between Tatars and Russians did not always develop successfully. History remembers the siege and capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible in 1552 and the Decree of Peter I on the forced baptism of the nobles of the Islamic faith in 1713. But, in turn, the Russian people had a hard time during the Tatar-Mongol yoke. In spite of everything, all these historical events eventually brought people together and made them closer.
In general, we have answered the above question. It turns out that a khach is, first of all, a person of non-Slavic appearance. However, is it worth using this word in modern Russian? After all, despite the harmless meaning and well-founded etymology, it can offend or upset a good person, a representative of the richest culture. The conclusion suggests itself.
