Magarych: what is it and in what cases do they say so?

There is a stable expression in the people , the meaning of which is usually known to every adult person. It sounds like this: "I'm a magician!" What does this mean? A person feels obliged to thank someone for something.

How did this word originate?

The word has a Turkic origin and is translated as "costs, expenses". Perhaps, the lexeme became widespread in Russia at a time when people were actively trading, making deals and developing business ties. Linguists, at least, say about "Magarych", that this word has been used in our country since the beginning of the sixteenth century.

Pleasure, reward or bribe?

The numerous sayings and proverbs in which this lexeme is mentioned help to explain it. "The lump is a lump, and a maharich is a gift!" Or "Cases are half a ruble, and the maharachs are worth a whole ruble!" - say samples of oral folk art.

The meaning of the word "maharich" is a treat to which the party who concluded the transaction with benefit for itself, treats its counterpart. In Russia, this concept was inextricably linked when buying and selling horses. Initially, the feast about the deal symbolized the idea of unanimity, later it acquired a more pragmatic meaning. The treaty was considered durable and irreversible after the maharach. The thing or cattle were declared sold, and so there could be no doubt if the seller accepted the maharach. If the scribe served the transaction, fixing the contract on paper, he also relied on a mugger. What is this, if not the kind of reward for the work, which requires special favor of the performer to the customer? The meaning of the word, therefore, can be understood more broadly: reward for work or a bribe for a timely and qualitative solution of the issue. There have been cases when the magarich was a form of bribery of the judicial rank, and then it seemed that the case was won in favor of the one who put the greater reward.

Matchmaking was also considered a kind of bargain, and the matchmakers came to the bride's parents with a muggle. If it was adopted, then the close girls agreed to bless the marriage. In Turkic peoples, the wedding ceremony itself is called "maharitie" - this means the completion of the marriage bargaining.

If only I could sell at a loss, and I should drink a cigarette!

Most often, the treat was given in the form of booze. This is also fixed in the old sayings: "The deal is over, if the muggings are drunk." It is also implied in modern: "Magarych is the engine of work, especially in plumbing."

Today the word is used also in those cases when people wish to celebrate an award, a bonus or a promotion, invite colleagues and treat them with alcohol. The word has firmly become a part of folklore and, probably, will not soon go down in history.