I remember when I was studying at the institute, in linguistics classes we were taught to “parse words.” And at school, everyone came across this: determine gender, number, case, tense of verbs, and so on. I really enjoyed learning the meaning of the word and its origins. We were told that in every language there are many words of foreign origin, this is due primarily to history, the proximity of countries... There are words that sound almost the same in many languages.
Today I want to share stories about the origin of words that we all know from our active vocabulary. I was interested to know where these words came into the Russian language.
Railway station
The word comes from the name of the place "Vauxhall" - a small park and entertainment center near London. The Russian Tsar, who visited this place, fell in love with it - especially the railway. Subsequently, he commissioned British engineers to build a small railway from St. Petersburg to his country residence. One of the stations on this section of the railway was called "Vokzal", and this name later became the Russian word for any railway station.
Hooligan
The word bully is of English origin. According to one version, the surname Houlihan was once borne by a famous London brawler who caused a lot of trouble for city residents and the police. The surname has become a common noun, and the word is international, characterizing a person who grossly violates public order.
Orange
Until the 16th century, Europeans had no idea about oranges at all. Russians - even more so. Oranges don't grow here! And then Portuguese sailors brought these orange delicious balls from China. And they began to trade them with their neighbors. The Dutch word for apple is appel, and the Chinese word for apple is sien. The word appelsien, borrowed from the Dutch language, is a translation of the French phrase Pomme de Chine - “apple from China”.
Doctor
It is known that in the old days they treated with various conspiracies and spells. The ancient healer said something like this to the patient: “Go away, disease, into the quicksand, into the dense forests...” And muttered various words over the sick person. The word doctor is originally Slavic and is derived from the word “vrati”, which means “to speak”, “to talk”. Interestingly, “to lie” comes from the same word, which for our ancestors also meant “to speak.” It turns out that in ancient times doctors lied? Yes, but this word initially did not contain a negative meaning.
Scammer
Ancient Rus' did not know the Turkic word “pocket”, because money was then carried in special wallets - pouches. From the word “moshna” and produced “swindler” - a specialist in thefts from the moshon.
Restaurant
The word "restaurant" means "strengthening" in French. This name was given to one of the Parisian taverns by its visitors in the 18th century after the owner of the establishment, Boulanger, introduced nutritious meat broth into the number of dishes offered.
Heaven
One version is that the Russian word "heaven" comes from "ne, no" and "besa, demons" - literally a place free of evil/demons. However, another interpretation is probably closer to the truth. Most Slavic languages have words similar to "sky", and they most likely originate from the Latin word for "cloud" (nebula).
Nonsense
At the end of the 17th century, French physician Gali Mathieu treated his patients with jokes. He gained such popularity that he did not have time for all the visits and sent his healing puns by mail. This is how the word “nonsense” arose, which at that time meant a healing joke, a pun. The doctor immortalized his name, but nowadays this concept has a completely different meaning.
And often on the Internet there are pictures with interpretations of unusual, rarely used words, but that’s a completely different story. I will definitely make a selection like this))
once upon a time... probably the 16th century... in general, all people wore peculiar panties under their clothes... with lace and frills... so white to the knees... this was noted in all the films about those times.
these panties were called popyhi... and these panties were the squeak of the season, people slept in them, by the way... because they were comfortable and then in the palace where the king lived, there was a fire... and naturally everyone began to run out in what they slept in... because it happened early in the morning and so... they ran out in that same rush.
This is where the expression “in a hurry” came from
" Break a leg!"
It arose among hunters and was based on the superstitious idea that with a direct wish (both fluff and feather), the results of a hunt can be “jinxed.” Feather in the language of hunters means “bird”, “down” means animals. In response, so as not to “jinx it,” the now traditional sounded: “(Go) To hell!” In ancient times, a hunter going on a hunt received this parting word, the literal translation of which looks something like this: “Let your arrows fly past the target, let the snares and traps you set remain empty, just like the trapping pit!” To which the hunter usually responded in the same spirit: “To hell!”, because they were both sure that the evil spirits would hear this and leave behind, and would not plot intrigues during the hunt. Here is a wish of good luck in a unique form.
"intimate"
In Russia it has always been customary to go to the bathhouse, which Europe did not accept at all, and even now they try to make do with a shower. And so, when one of the English merchants visited Moscow, he kept a diary and constantly added entries to it. In one of the notebooks, dating back to the 16th century, he describes a trip to a Moscow bathhouse, where he went accompanied by a group of boyars, noblewoman Morozova and her hay girls. Entering the bathhouse, he exclaimed: “It’s incredible, they are making that like in team!” Morozova grinned and said: “Who needs sex, and who needs to wash,” to which everyone present laughed at the stupid infidels. But the word was not lost and we went for a walk around Moscow.
"cut it on your nose"
If you think about it, the meaning of this expression seems cruel, to say the least: it’s not very pleasant to imagine an ax next to your own nose. In reality, everything is not so sad. In this expression, the word “nose” has nothing to do with the similarly spelled organ of smell. In this context, a “nose” refers to a memorial tablet, or a note tag. In the distant past, illiterate people always carried such tablets with them, and with them sticks, with the help of which they made all kinds of notes or notches for memory.
" yellow press"
This expression originated in the States... in this way: One American artist published in a number of issues of a New York newspaper a series of frivolous drawings with humorous text; among the drawings there was a picture of a child in a yellow shirt, to whom various funny sayings were attributed. Soon another American newspaper began publishing a series of similar drawings. A dispute arose between these two newspapers over the right of primacy to this “yellow boy”. And one editor published an article in the magazine in which he contemptuously called both competing newspapers “the yellow press.” Since then, this expression has become popular.
"nonsense"
At the end of the last century, the French doctor Gali Mathieu treated his patients with jokes. He gained such popularity that he did not have time for all the visits and sent his healing puns by mail. This is how the word “nonsense” arose, which at that time meant a healing joke, a pun. The doctor immortalized his name, but nowadays this concept has a completely different meaning.
An interesting science - etymology - studies the history of vocabulary and the origin of words. And in this article she will introduce us to 10 Russian words of unusual origin.
Railway station
The word comes from the name "Vauxhall" - a small park and entertainment center near London. The Russian Tsar, who visited this place, fell in love with it - especially the railway. Subsequently, he commissioned British engineers to build a small railway from St. Petersburg to his country residence. One of the stations on this section of the railway was called "Vokzal", and this name later became the Russian word for any railway station.
Hooligan
The word bully is of English origin. According to one version, the surname Houlihan was once borne by a famous London brawler who caused a lot of trouble for city residents and the police. The surname has become a common noun, and the word is international, characterizing a person who grossly violates public order.
Orange
Until the 16th century, Europeans had no idea about oranges at all. Russians - even more so. Oranges don't grow here! And then Portuguese sailors brought these orange delicious balls from China. And they began to trade them with their neighbors. The Dutch word for apple is appel, and the Chinese word for apple is sien. The word appelsien, borrowed from the Dutch language, is a translation of the French phrase Pomme de Chine - “apple from China”.
Doctor
It is known that in the old days they treated with various conspiracies and spells. The ancient healer said something like this to the patient: “Go away, disease, into the quicksand, into the dense forests...” And muttered various words over the sick person. The word doctor is originally Slavic and is derived from the word “vrati”, which means “to speak”, “to talk”. Interestingly, “to lie” comes from the same word, which for our ancestors also meant “to speak.” It turns out that in ancient times doctors lied? Yes, but this word initially did not contain a negative meaning.
Scammer
Ancient Rus' did not know the Turkic word “pocket”, because money was then carried in special wallets - pouches. From the word “moshna” and produced “swindler” - a specialist in thefts from the moshon.
Restaurant
The word "restaurant" means "strengthening" in French. This name was given to one of the Parisian taverns by its visitors in the 18th century after the owner of the establishment, Boulanger, introduced nutritious meat broth into the number of dishes offered.
Shit
The word “shit” comes from the Proto-Slavic “govno”, which means “cow” and was originally associated only with cow “patties”. “Beef” means “cattle”, hence “beef”, “beef”. By the way, from the same Indo-European root is the English name for a cow - cow, as well as for the shepherd of these cows - cowboy. That is, the expression “fucking cowboy” is not accidental, it contains a deep family connection.
Heaven
One version is that the Russian word "heaven" comes from "ne, no" and "besa, demons" - literally a place free of evil/demons. However, another interpretation is probably closer to the truth. Most Slavic languages have words similar to "sky", and they most likely originate from the Latin word for "cloud" (nebula).
Slates
In the Soviet Union, a famous manufacturer of rubber slippers was the Polymer plant in the city of Slantsy, Leningrad region. Many buyers believed that the word “Shales” embossed on the soles was the name of the shoes. Then the word entered the active vocabulary and became a synonym for the word “slippers.”
Nonsense
At the end of the 17th century, French physician Gali Mathieu treated his patients with jokes.
He gained such popularity that he did not have time for all the visits and sent his healing puns by mail.
This is how the word “nonsense” arose, which at that time meant a healing joke, a pun.
The doctor immortalized his name, but nowadays this concept has a completely different meaning.
Railway station.
The word comes from the name "Vauxhall" - a small park and entertainment center near London. The Russian Tsar, who visited this place, fell in love with it - especially the railway. Subsequently, he commissioned British engineers to build a small railway from St. Petersburg to his country residence. One of the stations on this section of the railway was called "Vokzal", and this name later became the Russian word for any railway station.
Hooligan.
The word bully is of English origin. According to one version, the surname Houlihan was once borne by a famous London brawler who caused a lot of trouble for city residents and the police. The surname has become a common noun, and the word is international, characterizing a person who grossly violates public order.
Orange.
Until the 16th century, Europeans had no idea about oranges at all. Russians - even more so. Oranges don't grow here! And then Portuguese sailors brought these orange delicious balls from China. And they began to trade them with their neighbors. In Dutch "Apple" is Appel, and "Chinese" is Sien. The word Appelsien, borrowed from the Dutch language, is a translation of the French phrase Pomme de Chine - “Apple from China”.
Doctor.
It is known that in the old days they treated with various conspiracies and spells. The ancient healer said something like this to the sick person: “Go away, disease, into the quicksand, into the dense forests...” and muttered various words over the sick person. The word doctor is originally Slavic and is derived from the word “Vrati”, which means “to speak”, “to speak”. Interestingly, “Lie” comes from the same word, which for our ancestors also meant “to speak.” It turns out that in ancient times doctors lied? Yes, but this word initially did not contain a negative meaning.
Scammer.
Ancient Rus' did not know the Turkic word “Pocket”, because money was then carried in special wallets - purses. From the word “Moshna” comes “swindler” - a specialist in thefts from moshons.
Restaurant.
The word "Restaurant" means "strengthening" in French. This name was given to one of the Parisian taverns by its visitors in the 18th century after the owner of the Boulanger establishment introduced nutritious meat broth to the number of dishes offered.
Shit.
The word "Shit" comes from the Proto-Slavic "Govno", which means "cow" and was originally associated only with cow "patties". “Beef” means “cattle”, hence “beef”, “beef”. By the way, from the same Indo-European root is the English name for a cow - cow, as well as the shepherd of these cows - Cowboy. That is, the expression “Fucking Cowboy” is not accidental, it contains a deep family connection.
Heaven.
One theory is that the Russian word "Heaven" comes from "ne, no" and "besa, demons" - literally a place free of evil/demons. However, another interpretation is probably closer to the truth. Most Slavic languages have words similar to "Sky", and they most likely originated from the Latin word for "cloud" (Nebula.
Shales.
In the Soviet Union, a famous manufacturer of rubber slippers was the Polymer plant in the city of slantsy, Leningrad region. Many buyers believed that the word "Shales" embossed on the soles was the name of the shoes. Then the word entered the active vocabulary and became a synonym for the word “Slippers.”
Nonsense.
At the end of the 17th century, French physician Gali Mathieu treated his patients with jokes.
He gained such popularity that he did not have time for all the visits and sent his healing puns by mail.
This is how the word “nonsense” arose, which at that time meant a healing joke, a pun.
The doctor immortalized his name, but nowadays this concept has a completely different meaning.
