The guard - who is this? Where did the word and what it means?

Probably not just in movies or TV shows have you heard the word “guard”. It's a prison warden, an overseer, an employee of a private institution – in the opinion of the authors of dictionaries. But very few people knows, where did this concept. Actually there are several variants and versions, which explain the meaning of this word. Let's consider each in more detail.

"Torque wrench»

The First version associated with the keys. Prison inspector or overseer, wandering through the corridors of the prison, constantly had a big bunch of keys. It is believed that the warden-is the person who constantly rotates, shakes the keys. The slang word Turnkey means “waving” or “rolling”.

Some believe that this is just a trivial translation from the English language. Others believe that the theory and truth, because they have a warden a lot, and the ring, irritating the prisoners.

“Standing on the tower”

The Second version is associated with soldiers who were guarding the zone, standing on the tower. Who is the guard in the area? It's guarding the perimeter of the jailer. In the line of their service, these campaigners constantly was looking around, looking for prisoners who could escape. Looked, or turned, or Virtualis.

It turns Out that “guard” is synonymous with constantly looking man. In some other versions, spun jailers because they stood in the cold, the wind or the rain. In the old days the tower was not closed, with a wooden floor. The people there are corny froze and they had to constantly move from place to place. And as this spot on the lookout tower was very small, it was more like they just went round and round in a confined space.

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The Inmates of the soldiers on lookout towers especially disliked. “guard” – this word, which was then very contemptuous and derogatory. Earned the guard a good idea on the packages and programs for prisoners. They were obliged not only to share their belongings, but additionally to pay extra people in the tower to let them even pick up their parcel thrown over the fence. “mail order business” in the old prisons was very lucrative.

The Jailer – this concept is quite extensive. It could be people who were serving inside the zone. So-called chiefs, and ordinary soldier who walked the halls and watched over the behavior of inmates. Jailer – common word, but the guard – is a concrete man, standing on the lookout tower, from which depended the fate of the gear for convicts.

“Loud screaming”

The Third version is very similar to the second. It is also connected with the soldiers on the tower. Only it is believed that the word “guard”, the importance is twofold. On the one hand – to spin in the cold, looking around and at the same time controlling the escape of the prisoner. On the other – “high” in the jargon of prisoners means “to shout, Hait” someone. That is, the soldiers in the towers are not only turned, but also scream very loudly if someone tried to escape.

Both options are associated with the guard on the observation tower. But one important translation of the word “spin” and for the other version, “cry-Hait”.

“guard” is a con

According to people who worked for many years in places not so remote, they never heard of hardened convicts who know the laws and history of his world, called jailers guard. They can be “fascists”, “controllers”, “cops” or “rubbish”, but not the guard. Why? This fact explains the history of the word.

During the reign of Stalin, during the repression and numerous prisons, when a huge number of repressed was behind bars, the word “guard” meant not the worker of the colony. So called prisoners.

At that time, was catastrophic shortages of guards in the camps. People are just simply not enough. Where they had to take? Of course, among the prisoners themselves. They were dressed in a special form, which differed from the form of convicts, and from the work clothes of the prison guards. To supervise and prevent riots in the Russian prison in 1939, only one worked as a guard more than twenty-five thousand prisoners.

In the early years of the war, all the guards who would for health reasons, went to the front. There went on their own and prisoners. Remained the disabled, women and the elderly. After the war, the GULAG decides again to restore the practice of samoobrony colonies. Inmates working prison guards were allowed then a two-week vacation, the greater number of parcels and meetings with relatives. However, negligent attitude to the service was unacceptable. It could not only return to the General regime, but also to extend.

“Constantly looking”

They were nervous. On the one hand, it is necessary to please his superiors, not to miss something important and not to be guilty accidentally. On the other - returning after work to their barracks, it was important to be alert, suddenly someone “I will set at defiance” for his work on“foreign” side. And went samkranti, constantly looking back, or “bertugas”. Gradually the word “stuck”, and began to call them not only as a guard.