samizdat
pronunciation
How to pronounce samizdat in British English:
UK [səmaɪz'dæt]
How to pronounce samizdat in American English:
US [səmaɪz'dæt]
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- Noun:
- a system of clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned literature
Word Origin
- samizdat (n.)
- "illegal and clandestine copying and sharing of literature," 1967, from Russian samizdat, literally "self-publishing," from sam "self" (see same) + izdatel'stvo "publishing" (from iz "from, out of," from PIE *eghs; see ex-; + dat' "to give," from PIE *do-; see date (n.1)). Said to be a word-play on Gosizdat, the former state publishing house of the U.S.S.R. One who took part in it was a samizdatchik (plural samizdatchiki). Later and less common was tamizdat "writings published abroad and smuggled back into the U.S.S.R.," from tam "there."
Example
- 1. His manuscript another life was first published in samizdat with underground copies passed hand to hand .
- 2. In its drive for a monopoly over religious discourse , hamas is forcing islamists from other schools of thought to retreat to the web to publish their samizdat literature .
- 3. This requires launching sophisticated media and political campaigns-in much the same way that underground samizdat publications and radio free europe broadcasts served to undermine the international communist movement during the cold war .