Shantrok and shantrap are the same?

What is a shantrap? Rarity has recently become popular, but what it really means is hardly known to those who used it. About the "shantrap" was often mentioned in their songs by the great bards: Vladimir Vysotsky, Alexander Rosenbaum, Timur Shaov.

"... This is Chertanovo, not St. Tropez,

There is where to hunt a shantape. "

Definition of words

Explanatory dictionaries (Dahl, Ozhegov, Fasmer, Efremova) treat the word "shantrap" as a synonym for an insignificant, rude and hamovaty man from the lower strata of society, with a complete lack of manners. A miserable bunch of rascals, criminals and fallen people. From the thirties of the twentieth century, a shantrap called homeless children, wandering around the streets. With them it was forbidden to play with the courtyard children, decent girls eschewed them, and the janitors and concierges, just seeing the shantrap, immediately drove her out of the courtyard.

Also by this term mean a mixture of something uncertain with a low quality, a company of hooligans and unknown suspicious people.

Origin of the term

The most popular interpretation of the word "shantrap" is the version of the French-tutors. After the defeat of Napoleon, many soldiers of the French army remained in Russia, hiring in the teacher to the landlords. After all, the French language was then considered an indicator of education, involvement in higher society.

In French, shantrapa means "will not sing, not a singer": this is the verdict that the tutors made in the local parish churches as a bandmaster. Children of peasants who did not have a musical ear or melodic voice received such a verdict and were left to themselves, as most of them could not afford to go to school. Of course they began to idly wander the streets, sometimes stealing candy, fruit or small knickknacks from merchants.

According to some versions of linguists, the shantrap is a derivative of the ancient Czech "shantrok", which meant a liar, a liar, while "shantrok" originated from the old German word "santrok", meaning deception.

Synonyms of the word

Gol, erratic, scoundrel, rubbish and swine are all related words to the shantrape, which further confirms the connection with the German origin of the word. In the same context, words are used: ragamuffins, scoundrels and rogues, punks and fooligans (from the word "hooligan"). The essence remains the same - shantrap. This is a collective word, incorporating any designations of people unclean in their hands.

The film of 2010

In 2010, a talented director of Georgian origin Otar Ioseliani produced the eponymous film "Shantrap". This movie was honored to participate in an out-of-competition program in Cannes and attracted a lot of attention of critics and amateurs of this master's creativity. A film about a freedom-loving artist who wants to live without the pressure of censorship and mass ideology. Under the influence of these feelings, he moves to live in an ideal, in his opinion, free country - France.

Some critics have drawn parallels with the life of the director, although the latter denies any similarities in the plot.