English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Russian меньшеви́к (menʹševík), derived from меньшинство́ (menʹšinstvó, minority), formed in turn from Russian ме́ньше (ménʹše), the comparative of ма́лый (mályj, little).[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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Menshevik (plural Mensheviks or Mensheviki)

  1. (now chiefly historical) A member of the gradualist or moderate wing of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party during the years preceding the Russian Revolution, when they split with the Bolsheviks; or a member of a later independent moderate-Marxist party formed in 1917. [from 20th c.]
    • 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber 2003, page 259:
      ‘Better an ultra-leftist than a Menshevik,’ said Rosa Kaletsky.
    • 2015 October 28, Ted Cruz, quotee, “Transcript: Read the Full Text of the CNBC Republican Debate in Boulder”, in Time[1]:
      Let me be clear. The men and women on this stage have more ideas, more experience, more common sense than every participant in the Democratic debate. That debate reflected a debate between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks.

Translations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ T.F. Hoad, Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, →ISBN; headword Menshevik