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sprostý prostý voják – was the soldier indecent, common, or both?

Posted on 27 October 2016 by Kate Challis

Here’s a contribution I made on a Czech genealogy forum that made me laugh.

https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/DA?menu=3&id=5647&page=124&lang=cs

Adalbert Ssanda [Šanda) sprostý vojak zahradky od K.K. E H? C: Rainer ++ Linirr Infanterie Regimentu, 8 Compagnie
syn Vacslava ssandy [šandy] chalupnika ze zahradký panství Vožickeho matky Marie dcery Vaclava Bednaře sedlaka z Bzový N 8 panství Vožick

It turns out that the word “sprostý” means vulgar.

And it really is just like old English, where vulgar can mean commonplace or ordinary. But in modern speech, it means indecent, scurrilous, foul, dirty, immoral, etc. 
In this case, it means he was a common, ordinary soldier. But it’s funny because, assuming soldiers of the past are somewhat similar to soldiers of the present, maybe he was both. 😉

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