comrade

[GeneD]

When I saw "comrade" as a form of address on an international forum, I first thought that the one who said it was just mocking his opponent, who was Russian. To tell you the truth, I was almost certain of that. But later on, I decided to look it up in a dictionary, just in case, and it gave a meaning marked as "literary": "a friend, especially someone you have fought together with in a war or worked with".

Do you ever use "comrade" in its "literary" meaning? I imagine it could be used humorously even with strangers on forums. In theory. I think I could occasionally say something like this writing in a Russian-speaking forum. The connotation would be positive, of course...

Or was it just a mock? Well, it seems to be the most likely explanation because I also saw "tovarish" a couple of times, but not within the same thread and it wasn't addressed to same person... Just to ensure I don't misunderstand anything, is it a common way to mock Russians?

Maybe I must also add that I'm not going to get offended if it is. :-D Actually, I find it quite funny. At the same time, it would help to know the interlocutor's attitude (if someone calls me that) so as not to misinterpret it by chance.

 

[GoesStation]

Americans who know the Russian word may occasionally call other similarly-aware Americans tovarish. I've done it myself. But the word comrade is a perfectly innocent English word when not used as a title. I wouldn't say it's common except in the expression comrades in arms, but it may be used from time to time with no reference to the Soviet era of history.

 

[GeneD]

But the word comrade is a perfectly innocent English word when not used as a title.

But how might one know if it's used as a title? Should there necessarily be the last name after "comrade" to count it as a title? "Comrade X", for instance. Or can it go alone and retain the Soviet era reference? Should it be capitalised to sound this way? (Or intentionally typed in lower case to sound ambiguous? ) On the forum I mentioned, it was as "Comrade, ... ..." (I don't know if it's important, but I remember the "Comrad" spelling too.)

 

[GoesStation]

If someone addresses another person as Comrade, it's a title. As such, it should always be capitalized. The word should always include its final e.

 

[bubbha]

During the Cold War, the word "comrade" had a distinct "communist" connotation to it, which it still retains to this day. It has even been used as an insult, to suggest someone is a communist or a communist sympathizer. But since the collapse of the Soviet Union, I have seen more uses of the term being used with its original meaning, especially in a military context (equivalent to "brother-in-arms").

On a side note, the meaning of the Chinese equivalent "tongzhi" has changed; now it means a gay person.

 

[Raymott]

'Comrade' is occasionally used in Australia in a debate/dialogue to imply that a person is a communist. It's used by right wing people in reply to a far left socialist who says something particularly revolutionary or redolent of Soviet propaganda.
Another name that used to be used is Boris. We have very few people called Boris in Australia. Calling someone Boris was equivalent to calling them a communist, until around 1990. Naturally, we have more Russian immigrants now. I don't think there was a female equivalent.

 

[GeneD]

'Comrade' is occasionally used in Australia in a debate/dialogue to imply that a person is a communist. It's used by right wing people in reply to a far left socialist who says something particularly revolutionary or redolent of Soviet propaganda.

This logic I understand perfectly. Then it turns out that some people believe that Russia is still communist. Moreover, the opponents who were called "comrade" were clearly right wing which makes the situation even more amusing.

 

[Raymott]

No, there's nothing there to imply that people still think Russia is communist. There is only the implication that some far left people in Australia and elsewhere still have communist viewpoints.
I'm not talking about calling Russian people 'comrade' here. I'm saying that socialists might still be called 'comrade'. Unfortunately, it seems that the thread has morphed from your original post to the use of the term 'comrade'.

How do you figure that the people called 'comrade' are right wing?

 

[GeneD]

I'm not talking about calling Russian people 'comrade' here.

Yes, I understand you correctly. I seem to have jumped too far when I started to talk about Russians again, sorry. But it's this usage of the word applied to Russians what interested me in the OP and interests now.

How do you figure that the people called 'comrade' are right wing?

It was a kind of political debate where I saw the word "comrade" used. Those who used it also called Putin a dictator. I think it's more important what they consider Putin and their pro-Putin opponents: right or left wing. If they think that Putin is a dictator, then those who approve of him must (in the opinion of those who used "comrade") be right wing, right? If they are right wing, why call them "comrades"?

 

[Raymott]

But it's this usage of the word applied to Russians what interested me in the OP and interests now.

I know, and no one has answered that yet. I have never heard of anyone calling a Russian person 'comrade' merely because they were Russian. I have heard far left socialists being called 'comrade' (by more right wing people, as I said previously), whether they are Russian or not.

 

[GoesStation]

If they think that Putin is a dictator, then those who approve of him must (in the opinion of those who used "comrade") be right wing, right?

Not at all. The Communist government of the USSR was universally described as a dictatorship in the West. The term refers to the absence of civil rights and free elections, not to a position on the political spectrum.

 

[GeneD]

Okay, but even so, Putin is clearly not a communist, right? It just seems to me that Russia is still percieved by some people (and there are many, I guess) as if it were the USSR with its ideology and so on.

[edit] I mean why call someone a communist if they are not such?

 

[jutfrank]

When I saw "comrade" as a form of address on an international forum, I first thought that the one who said it was just mocking his opponent, who was Russian. To tell you the truth, I was almost certain of that.

It seems we are discussing the particular use of a word by a particular person to another particular person on one particular occasion, nothing of which we know anything about. Surely, the whole context of the conversation would tell you whether there was any mockery intended, right? It is certainly possible but how could we know?

Generally, if a non-Russian called another non-Russian 'comrade', it would be likely that this would be in reference to some kind of socialist attitude, but it could also be meant in the literary sense you mention. However, if a non-Russian called a Russian 'comrade', knowing full well that he was Russian, then I think it would be fairly likely that there is reference to the person's culture/nationality, whether that is meant as a positive or negative thing.