гражданин

Inherited from Old Church Slavonic гражданинъ (graždaninŭ), from Proto-Slavic *gorďaninъ. By surface analysis, град (grad, “town”) +‎ -янин (-janin) with palatalization of dental -д- before *j.

The modern civil meaning is a calque of French bourgeois.

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡraʒdɐnin]

• Audio:

  (file)

гра́жданин • (gráždanin) m (feminine гра́жданка, relational adjective гра́ждански)

1. townsman, burgher (resident of a town, city)
2. citizen (legal member of a state)

• гра́ждански (gráždanski, “civil”)
• гра́жданство (gráždanstvo, “citizenship”)

• “гражданин”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “гражданин”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• “гражданинъ”, in Старобългарски речник [Dictionary of Old Bulgarian] (in Bulgarian), https://histdict.uni-sofia.bg, 2011—2025

• граждани́нъ (graždanín) — Pre-reform orthography (1918)

Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic гражданинъ (graždaninŭ), from Proto-Slavic *gorďaninъ. Compare native горожа́нин (gorožánin), which was inherited from Old East Slavic. Related to го́род (górod, “city”).

• IPA^(key): [ɡrəʐdɐˈnʲin]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: гра‧жда‧нин
• Rhymes: -in

граждани́н • (graždanín) m anim (genitive граждани́на, nominative plural гра́ждане, genitive plural гра́ждан, feminine гражда́нка, relational adjective гражда́нский)

1. citizen, national
   • 1957 [1917 November 24 (11)], Владимир Улянов-Ленин [Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin], Яков Свердлов [Yakov Sverdlov], “Декрет об уничтожении сословий и гражданских чинов”, in Декреты советской власти, volume I, page 72; English translation from “Decree on the Abolition of Social Estates and Civil Ranks”, in Yuri Akhapkin, editor, First Decrees of Soviet Power, 1970, page 34:

     Всякие звания (дворянина, купца, мещанина, крестьянина и пр., титулы — княжеские, графские и пр.) и наименование гражданских чинов (тайные, статские и проч. советники) уничтожаются и устанавливается одно общее для всего населения России наименование — граждан Российской Республики.

     Vsjakije zvanija (dvorjanina, kupca, meščanina, krestʹjanina i pr., tituly — knjažeskije, grafskije i pr.) i naimenovanije graždanskix činov (tajnyje, statskije i proč. sovetniki) uničtožajutsja i ustanavlivajetsja odno obščeje dlja vsevo naselenija Rossii naimenovanije — graždan Rossijskoj Respubliki.

     All designations of social standing (nobleman, merchant, petty bourgeois, peasant, etc.), title (prince, count, etc.) and civil rank (privy councillor, councillor of state, etc.) are abolished and a single designation of citizens of the Russian Republic is established for the entire population of Russia.

   • 1972 [1955, 1938], Лазарь Лагин [Lazar Lagin], “Третье приключение в метро [Third Adventure at the Metro]”, in Старик Хоттабыч [Starik Xottabyč, Old Man Khottabych], pages 168-169:

     Подошёл дежурный по станции, увидел разбросанные по перрону клочья бороды и сказал:
     — Гражданин, в метро надо соблюдать тишину... и чистоту...

     Podošól dežurnyj po stancii, uvidel razbrosannyje po perronu kločʹja borody i skazal:
     — Graždanin, v metro nado sobljudatʹ tišinu... i čistotu...

     The officer on duty at the station came by, saw the tufts of beard scattered on the platform, and said:
     “Citizen, at the metro it's necessary to keep silence... and cleanliness...”

2. (formal, law enforcement) sir, mister, Mr. (form of address used by a police officer towards a male civilian)

   Граждани́н, пройдёмте. ― Graždanín, projdjómte. ― Sir, you're going to have to come with me.

• сограждани́н (sograždanín)

• гражда́нка (graždánka)
• гражда́нский (graždánskij)
• гражда́нство (graždánstvo)

• → Bashkir: граждан (grajdan)
• → Bezhta: гражданин (graždanin)
• → Kyrgyz: гражданин (grajdanin)
• → Tajik: гражданин (graždanin)
• → Turkmen: grajjdan
• → Uyghur: گراژدان (grazhdan)
• → Uzbek: grajdan

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “гражданин”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “горожанин”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress