With you magarych: what does this phrase mean and how did it appear

Everyone has probably heard the word "magarych" at least once in everyday life. Usually they say "with you magarych" and this means that a person is in debt to someone. They use the expression both in the literal sense, counting on a reward, and just as a joke. But what is this mysterious magarych and why does everyone need him so much?

Nowadays, magarych is not remembered too often. This is an outdated word that has remained in use among the older generation. They talk about magarych when they hint that a person owes for some service or thing. Sometimes magarych, on the contrary, promise. By saying "with me magarych" they mean that they will not remain in debt or simply hint at a bribe.

In most cases, magarych means some kind of small present, most often a drink. In some regions, this word is generally considered synonymous with moonshine, that is, it is taken literally. There is also a saying: "Affairs for fifty kopecks, magarych for a ruble!". We think its meaning does not need to be explained now. But there is something to tell about the origin of this strange word.

The word "magarych" has a Tatar origin and it appeared in Russia together with hordes of Mongol-Tatars. But the steppe nomads also borrowed it from the Arabs. It meant costs, expenses and was used when discussing which side would cover them.

For the first time, Russians started using it at horse fairs. Having concluded a good deal, the buyer or seller treated the opposite party and the intermediary in the tavern. But gradually the word went beyond the lexicon of horse traders and began to be used by merchants in a broader sense.

For a long time in Russia it has been customary to conclude deals at the table. Such business parties began to be called magarychs. During such a meeting, the seller and the buyer could relax, discuss the details slowly and, warmed up by alcohol, reach consensus faster.

It also happened that the table was set after the hands were struck. In this case, the merchant invited the buyer and treated him at his own expense. Sometimes a whole company of colleagues, intermediaries and friends gathered at the table. Such a feast had a special meaning. The Code of merchant honor implied that if the buyer paid the money and accepted the invitation to magarych, then the transaction is fully completed and is already indestructible. There was even a special expression — a deal with magarych.

Over time, such unbreakable transactions were forgotten, and the word magarych remained in everyday use. We celebrate successful deals and important purchases even now, but now it is called by the word "wash" that everyone understands. No less interesting is the history of the origin of the expression "Filkin's letter", which we have been using for many centuries.