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Where does the word "kulak" come from? It comes from Russian kulak, and was adopted directly into English (1870s).
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Where does the word "kulak" come from? It comes from Russian kulak, and was adopted directly into English (1870s).
Kulak’s story begins in Russian: kulak meant “fist; grasping peasant.” 'fist', slang for a tight-fisted village moneylender or better-off peasant. It reached English by 1870s as kulak. Became a Soviet class label; in December 1929 Stalin announced the 'liquidation of the kulaks as a class', and deportations of millions followed. Today, kulak means a relatively wealthy Russian peasant, persecuted under Stalin.
- Stage 1 · Russian · 1800s kulak "fist; grasping peasant", 'fist', slang for a tight-fisted village moneylender or better-off peasant.
- Stage 2 · English · 1870s kulak "prosperous peasant", became a Soviet class label; in December 1929 Stalin announced the 'liquidation of the kulaks as a class', and deportations of millions followed.