Why Russians used to add ‘-s’ at the end of words

Vladimir Makovsky. In the Tavern, 1887

Private collection

Reading classic Russian literature in the original language you can find some weird words ending with '-s'. “Извольте-с”, “да-с”, “нет-с” (Izvolte-s, da-s, net-s), meaning ‘please’, ‘yes’, ‘no’…

“Все да да нет; не скажет да-с
Иль нет-с”

That's a quote from Pushkin’s famous novel in verse, ‘Eugene Onegin’. In it, he writes that neighbors are not happy about Eugene, being impolite and addressing them in a wrong way. 

Here's the translation, which will help you understand the meaning: 

“Says yes and no, but never sir
Or madam’, so they all concur.”

And here's an episode from Gogol's comedy ‘The Government Inspector’:

“Хлестаков. Как называлась эта рыба?
Артемий Филиппович (подбегая). Лабардан-с.
Хлестаков. Очень вкусная. Где это мы завтракали? в больнице, что ли?
Артемий Филиппович. Так точно-с, в богоугодном заведении.”

And here's the translation:

“KHLESTAKOV. What was that fish called?
CHARITY COMMISSIONER (stepping forward). Labardan, sir!
KHLESTAKOV. It was exquisite! Where was it we lunched? In the infirmary, wasn't it?
CHARITY COMMISSIONER. Precisely so, sir; in the hospital.”

Illustration for “The Government Inspector” by Nikolai Gogol, 1950

A. Konstantinovsky

Now, you see, they added ‘-s’ at the end of words to express special respect, honor to the interlocutor. In fact, ‘-s’ is nothing but an abbreviation of ‘sir’ or ‘sovereign’, as they would address aristocrats and nobles. 

Most often, servants or low-ranking people used this to address their elders and superiors. Therefore, by the end of the 19th century, the ‘-s’ particle was perceived negatively, almost as a form of sycophancy. 

And many writers used ‘-s’ to give some extra trait to their characters. It usually meant ingratiation. 

Konstantin Trutovsky. Landowner and His Serfs, 1853

The State Hermitage Museum

“Nikolay Ilyitch Snegiryov, sir, formerly a captain in the Russian infantry, put to shame for his vices, but still a captain. Though, I might not be one now for the way I talk; for the last half of my life I've learnt to say ‘sir’. It's a word you use when you've come down in the world,” a character talks about himself in Dostoyevsky’s ‘The Brother Karamazov’.

After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, such addressing as ‘sir’ was canceled and replaced by ‘comrade’ and ‘tovarishch’. So, the ‘-s’ phenomenon disappeared and became history.

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