Brodyaga

/brəˈdʒɑːɡə/ noun

Definition

A Russian vagrant or wanderer, especially one who travels from place to place without a permanent home.

Etymology

From Russian brodyaga (бродяга), derived from brodit (бродить) meaning 'to wander' or 'to roam.' The word evolved to describe the social class of itinerant workers and homeless wanderers in Russian society.

Kelly Says

In 19th-century Russian literature, brodyagi represented the underclass of wanderers immortalized in works by Gorky and Dostoevsky—they symbolized freedom and desperation in equal measure.

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