Despite the unequivocally negative interpretation of the word in modern Russian, the smerds were by no means the last people in Ancient Russia. And this name did not at all characterize a person based on personal qualities.
Who are the smerds today
In modern dictionaries of the Russian language, the word smerd is interpreted as a farmer - free or independent, who after the XIV century began to be called a peasant. According to the widespread version, it is believed that after the liquidation of the boyar republics at the end of the 15th century, the term "smerd" loses its social meaning and remains in everyday speech as a derogatory nickname. Based on this, the second meaning of the word, figurative, is indicated close in meaning to the derogatory verb "stink". For example, "A man of common origin" by T. F. Efremova (Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova); "A commoner, an ordinary person, in contrast to a prince, a vigilante" (Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov). As synonyms are given: plebeian, black bone, man, cook's son, grimy. Currently, smerd is an abusive and insulting word. This is the name of a person who smells bad - both literally and figuratively. That is, it has acquired a complete personal characteristic.
Smerds in Ancient Russia
There is a version that the word smerda was originally called the entire human population engaged in the cultivation of the land. It is not by chance that it was precisely this word that was supplanted by the new word “peasant” that came with the Mongol-Tatar yoke with the same general meaning. The Smerds conducted a communal economy and were free or dependent at different periods and depending on the circumstances. As a result, they also received new nicknames.
With the development of private land tenure in Russia, communal smerds fell into princely feudal dependence. At the same time, they remained legally free people, in contrast to slaves, ordinary people and procurements. However, due to the prevailing economic circumstances, free stink could pass into the category, for example, of purchases. Such an economic and legal dependence arose if a peasant-smerd took a coupe (loan) from a feudal lord to amend his own economy. During the working off of the debt, which he was obliged to repay with interest, the smerd became completely dependent on the patrimony. And in the event of an attempt to escape from obligations, he could be transferred to the category of a complete (full) slave and become, in fact, a slave. However, in the event of the return of the debt, the purchase regained complete freedom.
Smerd could also go to the ranks of the ranks. Ryadoviches were people of the common class who entered into an agreement ("row") with the master about service. As a rule, they performed the functions of small business executives or were used in various rural jobs.
