-nik
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The English suffix -nik is of Slavic origin. It approximately corresponds to the suffix "-er" and nearly always denotes an agent noun (that is, it describes a person related to the thing, state, habit, or action described by the word to which the suffix is attached).[1] In the cases where a native English language coinage is possible, the "-nik"-word often bears an ironic connotation.
The suffix existed in English in dormant state for a long time, in borrowed terms. An example is raskolnik, recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary to be known since 1723.[1] There have been two main waves of the introduction of this suffix into English language. The first one is Yinglish words contributed by Yiddish speakers from Eastern Europe. The second surge was observed after the launch of the Sputnik by the Soviet Union in 1957.
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[edit] Vocabulary
[edit] Mainstream
Words of significant context or usage:
- Artnik, a UK publisher [2]; the word predates its establishment
- Badnik, Robots created by Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, see below.
- Beatnik
- Chainik
- Otkaznik
- Peaknik
- Refusenik
- Sputnik
- Robotnik
[edit] Casual
Casual neologisms:
- Alrightnik — one who has been successful (who has done all right); nouveau riche
- Computernik — a computer geek
- Ipodnik — a person utterly devoted to iPods
- Muttnik
- Neatnik — a neat-freak
- No-goodnik — a lazy or incompetent person
- Peacenik — a pacifist; a hippie
[edit] Jewish culture
Words originally used by Jews of Europe, America, and Israel, often referring to concepts related to their culture or nation:
- Chabadnik or Habadnik — follower of Chabad
- Kadimanik — member of United Synagogue Youth's Kadima program
- Ka-tzetnik — a Nazi concentration camp prisoner or survivor, derived from abbreviation KZ, pronounced Ka-tzet
- Kibbutznik — member of a Kibbutz
- Lamedvavnik
- Likudnik — supporter of Israeli political party Likud
- Moshavnik — member of a Moshav
- Shinuinik — supporter of Israeli political party Shinui
- Mapainik - supporter of the historical Israeli labour party.
- Netzernik- Member of the Netzer Olami youth movement
- Nudnik — a nagging, boring or awkward person
[edit] Slavic languages
Native Slavic words that refer to inherently Slavic concepts:
- Chetnik
- Druzhinnik
- Kolkhoznik
- Kukuruznik
- Narodnik
- Namestnik
- Oprichnik
- Peredvizhnik
- Polkovnik/Polkovnyk
- Posadnik
- Raskolnik
- Rushnik
- Sotnik
- Sovkhoznik
- Subbotnik
- Syrnik (Sirnik)
- Udarnik
- Ugolovnik, a common criminal in Russia
- Uryadnik
- Varenik
- Voskresnik
- Varenik
- Zapadnik
- Zolotnik, an obsolete Russian measure of weight
[edit] References
- ^ a b V. V. Kabakchi, Charles Clay Doyle, "Of Sputniks, Beatniks, and Nogoodniks", American Speech, Vol. 65, No. 3 (1990), pp. 275-278 doi:10.2307/455919
- ^ Artnik
