The spelling of the word "bolshevik" is often a point of confusion for many English speakers. Its origin can be traced to the Russian word "bol'shinstvo" which means "majority". The IPA phonetic transcription of this word is [bohl-shyn-stvoh]. In English, the word is pronounced as [bohl-shuh-vik]. The spelling of the word is often misspelled as Bolshevick or Bolshevic, but the correct spelling is Bolshevik. It refers to a member of the Communist Party of Russia under Lenin's leadership following the overthrow of the Tsarist regime in 1917.
The term "Bolshevik" refers to a member or supporter of the Bolshevik party, a radical faction that emerged from the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in the early 20th century. The term itself is derived from the Russian word "bol'she," meaning "larger" or "majority."
The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, played a crucial role in the Russian Revolution of 1917, which overthrew the tsarist autocracy and eventually led to the establishment of the Soviet Union. They were characterized by their socialist ideology and commitment to achieving social and economic equality through a proletarian revolution.
A dictionary definition of "Bolshevik" would describe it as an individual associated with or supportive of the Bolshevik party, with its revolutionary socialist objectives. It may also highlight their advocacy for class struggle, abolition of private ownership of the means of production, and the establishment of a centralized socialist state.
The term "Bolshevik" is often used more broadly to refer to anyone with radical or extreme political views, though its original meaning in historical context is specific to the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. The connotation of the word may vary depending on the perspective of the user, with some associating it with positive connotations of liberation and social progress, while others see it more negatively as a symbol of authoritarianism and oppression.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word Bolshevik is derived from the Russian word bol'shinstvo, which means majority. The term was initially used to describe the majority faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) during a split in 1903. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, believed in a more radical and centralized approach to revolution and party organization. Eventually, in the context of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the term came to represent the faction that took control of the government and established the Soviet Union. The name Bolshevik emerged to contrast with the minority faction, known as the Mensheviks, derived from the Russian menshinstvo, meaning minority.