шмон

Russian

Alternative forms

шмонт (šmont) — rare

Etymology

From Hebrew שְׁמוֹנֶה (shmone, “eight”), referring to 8:00 a.m. when the cells were searched each morning in the Odessa prison prior to the communist revolution.

Gračov does not give an etymology.^[1] Krysin claims a Yiddish origin, without quoting the Yiddish form.^[2] Elistratov compares with dialectal шмон (šmon, “idler, loafer”), шмо́ны (šmóny, “idleness”), on the possible German–Yiddish origin of which see Vasmer.^[3]^[4]

Has also been connected with slang ашмала́ш (ašmaláš, “feeling up during a search”), which is of Turkic origin.^[5]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ʂmon]

Noun

шмон • (šmon) m inan (genitive шмо́на, nominative plural шмо́ны, genitive plural шмо́нов)

(criminal slang, prison slang) frisk, shakedown, raid, body search, search (a sudden, unexpected checkup or raid, as a police check); frisker (person doing the frisking)
(colloquial, slang) a sharp, unpleasant smell

Declension

Declension of шмон (inan masc-form hard-stem accent-a)

	singular	plural
nominative	шмо́н šmón	шмо́ны šmóny
genitive	шмо́на šmóna	шмо́нов šmónov
dative	шмо́ну šmónu	шмо́нам šmónam
accusative	шмо́н šmón	шмо́ны šmóny
instrumental	шмо́ном šmónom	шмо́нами šmónami
prepositional	шмо́не šmóne	шмо́нах šmónax

Related terms

шмо́нчик (šmónčik)
шмо́нщик (šmónščik)
шмо́нный (šmónnyj), шмона́льный (šmonálʹnyj)
шмона́ть (šmonátʹ), ашмона́ть (ašmonátʹ), ошмона́ть (ošmonátʹ)
шмона́ловка (šmonálovka)
шмона́льная (šmonálʹnaja)
шмона́льщик (šmonálʹščik), шмона́льщица (šmonálʹščica)
шмона́рь (šmonárʹ)

References

^ Gračóv, M. A. (2003) “шмон²”, in Slovarʹ tysjačeletnevo russkovo argo [Dictionary of Thousand Years of Russian Argot] (in Russian), Moscow: Ripol Classic, page 1063b
^ Krysin, L. M. (2006) “шмон”, in Tolkovyj slovarʹ inojazyčnyx slov [Explanatory Dictionary of Foreign Words] (in Russian), Moscow: Eksmo, page 888b
^ Jelistratov, V. S. (2000) “шмон”, in Slovarʹ russkovo argo (materialy 1980–1990 gg.) [Dictionary of Russian Argot (materials from 1980–1990)]‎^[1] (in Russian), Moscow: Russkije slovari, page 558a
^ Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “шмон”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress
^ Anikin, A. E. (2007) “ашмалаш”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 1 (A – аяюшка), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 355

[1] Gračóv, M. A. (2003) “шмон²”, in Slovarʹ tysjačeletnevo russkovo argo [Dictionary of Thousand Years of Russian Argot] (in Russian), Moscow: Ripol Classic, page 1063b

[2] Krysin, L. M. (2006) “шмон”, in Tolkovyj slovarʹ inojazyčnyx slov [Explanatory Dictionary of Foreign Words] (in Russian), Moscow: Eksmo, page 888b

[3] Jelistratov, V. S. (2000) “шмон”, in Slovarʹ russkovo argo (materialy 1980–1990 gg.) [Dictionary of Russian Argot (materials from 1980–1990)]‎^[1] (in Russian), Moscow: Russkije slovari, page 558a

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

[5] Anikin, A. E. (2007) “ашмалаш”, in Русский этимологический словарь [Russian Etymological Dictionary] (in Russian), issue 1 (A – аяюшка), Moscow: Manuscript Monuments Ancient Rus, →ISBN, page 355

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