Kulak
/ˈkuːlæk/noun
A relatively prosperous peasant in the Russian Empire or Soviet Union, especially one targeted during Soviet collectivization.
Did you know?During Stalin’s collectivization campaign, “kulak” became a political category applied far beyond genuinely wealthy peasants, helping justify deportations, property seizures, and executions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Turkic, before the 10th century
Proto-Turkic
*kulak
“Ear; the reconstructed ancestor of related Turkic forms”
Medieval Turkic
Turkic
qulaq / kulaq
“Ear; a form related to the Russian loanword’s disputed Turkic origin”
17th–18th Century
Russian
кулак (kulak)
“Fist; figuratively, a tight-fisted or grasping person”
19th Century
Russian
кулак
“A prosperous peasant, often associated with hiring labor or lending grain and money”
20th Century
Soviet Russian
кулак
“A class enemy label applied to supposedly wealthy or exploitative peasants”
20th Century
English
kulak
“A prosperous Russian peasant, especially one persecuted during Soviet collectivization”