samizdat means the secret copying and sharing of illegal publications, chiefly in the Soviet Union; underground publishing and its publications.
samizdat is pronounced /ˈsæmɪzdæt/.
Why “samizdat” is a great word
The clandestine copying and distribution of literature banned by the state, and the fragile publications so produced. Borrowed from Russian самизда́т (samizdát, 'self-publishing'), from сам (sam, 'self') + изда́т (izdát), an abbreviation of изда́тельство (izdátel'stvo, 'publishing house'), first attested in English in 1967. Unlike samvydav, which carries the weight of a specific national struggle, or the Western zine, a legal vehicle for niche enthusiasms, samizdat exists only in the shadow of the censor. It is the faint, metallic scent of mimeograph ink in a locked room, the sound of a typewriter’s steady tap behind a blanket-draped door, and the palpable warmth of a carbon-paper copy passed from hand to pocket in a crowded metro—a testament to the human insistence that a thought, once set down, cannot be un-thought.
Etymology
Borrowed from Russian самизда́т (samizdát, “self-publishing”), from сам (sam, “self”) + изда́т (izdát), an abbreviation of изда́тельство (izdátelʹstvo, “publishing house, publishing”) (compare Russian Госизда́т (Gosizdát, “State Publisher”)).
noun
- The secret copying and sharing of illegal publications, chiefly in the Soviet Union; underground publishing and its publications.
- A samizdat publication.