Ancient words and their modern meaning. Dictionary of Russian synonyms. when using historicisms and archaisms
Old Russian words are found quite often in modern language, but sometimes they seem strange and incomprehensible to us. Fragments of ancient dialects have spread throughout the territory of distant Kievan Rus; they can mean the same words and concepts as thousands of years ago, they can slightly change their meaning, or they can be revived, taking on new, modern interpretations.
Old Russian or Old Slavic?
You can start your journey into the ancient world with words that are still found in modern speech. Mother, homeland, uncle, earth, wolf, work, regiment, forest, oak - Old Russian words. But with the same success they can be called both ancient Belarusian and ancient Ukrainian. They are still found in these languages in almost the same form as thousands of years ago. Old Russian words and their meanings can be found in many monuments of Slavic literature. For example, the textbook “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is a real treasury for collectors of various ancient words.
Probably, it is necessary to separate Russian and common Slavic words, but this is not possible in this article. We can only observe the development of the ancient word - from its original meaning to its modern one. And an excellent visual aid for studying such development can be the ancient Russian word “fishing”.
History of the word
The “Initial Chronicle” tells how in 1071 “animal hunts took place” on the lands of the city of Vyshgorod. This word was also known in the time of Monomakh. In his “Instructions,” Prince Vladimir says that he himself “kept a hunting detachment,” that is, he kept stables, packs of dogs, tame falcons and hawks in order. The term “fishing” was already a commonly used word back then and meant hunting, capturing an animal.
Later, already in the 13th-14th centuries, the word “fishing” began to appear in testamentary documents. The legal lists mention “fishing” and “beaver fishing”. Here the word “fishing” is used as a reserve, a reserve - privately owned land with great opportunities for hunting and fishing. But in both the old and the new meaning, “fishing” means hunting by capturing an animal or fish. remained the same.
Modern "fishing"
In modern speech the word “fishing” is also often found. Only it, like many other Old Russian words, is used in a truncated, different meaning - one can say “herring fishing” or “autumn cod fishing.” But we will never say “wolf fishing” or “beaver fishing”. For this purpose, there is a convenient and understandable word “hunting”. But as part of complex words, “fishing” is found everywhere.
Children and grandchildren
Let's remember the words “mousetrap”, “trapper”, “trap” and others. After all, all these are the children and grandchildren of the ancient word “fishing”. Some “children” of “lova” have not survived time and are now found only in ancient chronicles. For example, the word “lovitva” arose much later than “lova”, but never took root in the Russian language. Lovitva was known in the 15th-17th centuries and was widely used to mean “hunting”. But already in the time of Pushkin this concept was not used.
For the great poet’s contemporaries, “lovy” and “lovitvy” are outdated, lifeless words. Old Russian "lovitva" do not exist in modern speech, but when you see them in an old book, you can understand the meaning of this word without much difficulty.
“Nadolba” and “goalkeeper”
Old Russian words with translation can be found in many explanatory dictionaries. But what if an ancient word is used in a new, modern meaning? Old Russian words and their meanings apparently change over time. A good example would be the fairly well-known ancient Russian literary words “nadolba” and “goalkeeper.”
The word “nadolba” was known in all-Russian military terminology many thousands of years ago. This was the name given to knocked together thick branches and logs - an impassable obstacle for infantry and cavalry in ancient, distant times. The advent of guns and cannons made both the structure and the words themselves unnecessary. invented new effective methods for defense and attack, and the “gouges” had to be scrapped.
A thousand years later, at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the gouges returned from the past. Now they were built from reinforcement blocks, logs, and construction waste. Such designs were designed to stop the advance of fascist tanks and disrupt the attack of enemy troops. After the war, the stones were dismantled, but the word remained. Now it is found in many literary works of war, in eyewitness accounts, in stories and novels about the war.
The word “goalkeeper” has also returned to modern language. True, his story is not nearly as heroic as that of the previous word. Goalkeepers used to be the name of modest monks-gatekeepers, who opened the gates of monasteries and temples in the morning and closed them at sunset, fearing dashing people. Goalkeepers have practically disappeared from our lives, but up to a certain point. The development of collective sports and the success of our teams in hockey and football competitions have led to the emergence of modern “goalkeepers” - athletes who protect the gates of their own team from attacks from opponents. Moreover, the word not only spread widely, but also put the foreign “goalkeeper” on both shoulder blades.
Vintage "airplane"
Do you think that in the time of Peter the Great the word “airplane” was known? And not as a fabulous flying object (magic carpet), but as a very real engineering structure? It turns out that in those days airplanes were self-propelled ferries that made it possible to transport large convoys with weapons and food to the other side of the river. Later, the word became a highly specialized jargon and began to be used in weaving.
A similar story happened with the word “bicycle”. It turns out that it was widely used in medieval Rus' - in Muscovy. That's what fast runners were called back then. The surname Velosipedov probably translates as "Fast-footed" rather than "belonging to a bicycle." Therefore, both bicycle and airplane can also with good reason be attributed to ancient, ancient Russian words. Unlike catching, these terms have survived several of their meanings and have become relevant in modern speech, although they have completely changed their interpretations.
Shards of the past
Strangely enough, many modern dialects have become remarkable monuments of ancient word usage. Old Russian words, examples of which can no longer be found in their initial form, feel great in a fixed, unchangeable form. For example, everyone knows such words as “evil”, “luck”. The derivatives of these concepts - “out of spite”, “at random” - are also not difficult to understand. They have long become understandable and simple parts of speech.
There are other words composed according to a similar principle. For example, “in a hurry.” “obliquely”, “sideways”. But “slant”, “bekren” or “hurry” are Old Russian, their initial meanings are a headache for lexicographers and linguists.
Results
As you can see, Old Russian words and their meanings leave a wide field for research. Many of them were understood. And now, when we encounter the words “veveliai”, “vedenci” or “lada” in ancient books, we can safely look for their meanings in dictionaries. But many of them are still waiting for their researchers. Only painstaking work with ancient words will help explain their meanings and enrich the modern Russian language.
Obsolete words, like dialect ones, can be divided into two different groups: archaisms and historicisms.
Archaisms are words that, due to the emergence of new words, have fallen out of use. But their synonyms exist in modern Russian.
Eg:
The right hand is the right hand, the cheeks are the cheeks, the ribs are the shoulders, the loins are the lower back, and so on.
But it is worth noting that archaisms may still differ from modern synonymous words. These differences can be in the morphemic composition (fisherman - fisherman, friendship - friendship), in their lexical meaning (belly - life, guest - merchant), in grammatical design (at the ball - at the ball, perform - perform) and phonetic features ( mirror - mirror, gishpansky - Spanish). Many words are completely outdated, but they still have modern synonyms. For example: destruction - death or harm, hope - hope and firmly believe, so that - so that. And in order to avoid possible mistakes in the interpretation of these words, when working with works of art, it is strongly recommended to use a dictionary of outdated words and dialect phrases, or an explanatory dictionary.
Historicisms are words that denote phenomena or objects that have completely disappeared or ceased to exist as a result of the further development of society.
Many words that denoted various household items of our ancestors, phenomena and things that were in one way or another connected with the economy of the past, the old culture, and the socio-political system that once existed became historicisms. Many historicisms are found among words that are one way or another connected with military themes.
Eg:
Most of the outdated words refer to items of clothing and household items: prosak, svetets, endova, camisole, armyak.
Also, historicisms include words that denote titles, professions, positions, classes that once existed in Rus': tsar, lackey, boyar, steward, stableman, barge hauler, tinker, and so on. Types of production activities such as horse-drawn horses and manufacturing. Phenomena of patriarchal life: procurement, rent, corvee and others. Disappeared technologies such as mead making and tinning.
Words that arose during the Soviet era also became historicisms. These include words such as: food detachment, NEP, Makhnovets, educational program, Budenovets and many others.
Sometimes it can be very difficult to distinguish between archaisms and historicisms. This is due both to the revival of the cultural traditions of Rus', and to the frequent use of these words in proverbs and sayings, as well as other works of folk art. Such words include words denoting measures of length or measurements of weight, naming Christian and religious holidays, and so on and so forth.
Abbey - guardhouse
Perhaps - either - perhaps, maybe
That's right - so
Azovka - a mythical creature
Aksamit - velvet
Altyn - three kopecks
Asps - poisonous snakes
Babayka - a large oar attached to a boat
Beats - talks, tells
Kayak - a river boat with one large sail
Balagta - swamp
Talk - talk
Canopy - decorated canopy on posts
Balodka - one-handed hammer
Basa - beauty, decoration, panache
Batog - stick
Bergamots - a variety of pears
Pregnancy is an armful
Barefoot shoes - house shoes
Boyars - rich and noble people
Scolding - battle
Brothers - brothers
Armor - metal clothing that protects a warrior from blows
Bulat - steel weapon
Burochki - a tall basket with a lid made of birch bark
Bureau - desk with a drawer for storing papers
To go on patrol - to guard, to guard
In the bag - in pursuit
Vacant time - holidays
Vacation - vacation
To know - to know
Venuti - to blow, to blow
Vershok - an old measure of length, equal to 4.4 centimeters
Of course - of course, it goes without saying
Rag - rag
Knight - brave warrior, hero
Meet - meet
Eversion - the rhizome of a large tree turned out of the ground
endure - withstand, endure, endure
Galushka - dumpling cooked in water or borscht
Galleta - a small merchant ship
To guess - to guess
The voice of obedience is the answering voice
Gorazd - knows how
A slide - a pyramid-shaped shelf for expensive dishes
Upper room - room
Rowing - narrow dam on the river
Hay girl - maid
Ten - 24 sheets
To marvel - to surprise, to astonish
Food - dishes, food
Zhaleika - a pipe made of willow bark
Jug - jug with lid
Burmitsky (Burmite) pearls - large and round pearls
Millstones - a small hand grinder
Burner - a place in the pre-furnace where the heat is raked
Firebox - a place in front of the firebox where the heat is raked
Start a fast - start fasting
Ahead of time - in advance
Sing Lazarus - flatteringly beg
Sinisters - small fantastic creatures
Imperial - gold coin
Inda - even, so
Treasury - money, wealth, property
Kamka - silk colored fabric with patterns
Karmazin - dark red cloth
Casing - leather outerwear
Kokurochka - a sweet flatbread
Kolymaga - a carriage in which noble people traveled
Box - basket, basket
Oblique fathom is an ancient Russian measure of length, the distance from the toes to the end of the fingers of an outstretched hand diagonally is equal to 216 cm
Krinitsa - well, spring
Krosna - home weaving loom
Tow - a bunch of flax or wool
Body - wicker basket
Plate - iron or steel armor worn by warriors
Bast - the bark of a young linden, willow, elm, bast shoes, baskets, baskets are woven from it
To shirk - to shirk, to shirk
Lytka - part of the leg below the knee
Damask sword - a sword made of especially strong steel
It’s not the first time for me - it’s not the first time for me
Hoe - hand-held agricultural tool
Ant - overgrown with grass (ant)
The largest is the eldest
Whip - belt whip
Namale - soap
It’s unsalt to slurp - to be deceived in your expectations
Nikoli - never
Flint - a stone or piece of steel for cutting fire from flint
Odnova - once, once
Come to your senses - come to your senses
Yell - plow
Chill - freeze
Boarding school - a school with a dormitory for students
To blame - to reproach, to reproach
Finger - finger
Povoy - reception of a newborn
Polati - wide sleeping bunks in a hut under the ceiling between the stove and the opposite wall
Pomelo - a broom wrapped in a rag at the end, used for sweeping in the stove
Tried it - tried it on
Kidnapper - thief
Start - start
Clearing - a clearing or lawn in a forest not overgrown with trees
Jumpy - fast
Pryazhon - fried (fry in oil)
The span is an ancient measure, the distance between the thumb and index finger of the hand.
Rat - army
Rosstan - the crossroads of two roads
Dress up - persuade
Sazhen is an ancient Russian measure of length, the distance of the arm span from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other
Salop - ancient women's outer dress
Sam-ten - ten times more
Sam-five - five times more
Sam-Thursday - four times more
Seredovich is a middle-aged man
Swear tablecloth - tablecloth woven with patterns
Conscience won't bother you - conscience won't bother you
The shrike, the shrike, is a bird from the passerine order.
Studenets - a well with icy water
Susek - a chest in which flour or grain is stored
A talisman is an object that, as superstitious people thought, brings happiness and protects from troubles
Tereben tavern - a regular visitor to the tavern, a regular
Terem - tall houses with a turret at the top
Toilet - toilet, mirror
Clean up - dress up
Stomata - external hole in a Russian stove
Postilion - coachman sitting on the front horse when pulling in a train
Cotton - tow, flax tow
Mansions - big house
To keep more than the apple of one's eye - to keep something more than one's eyes
Khustochka - handkerchief
A flail is a primitive tool for threshing grain, consisting of two connected sticks: a long handle and a shorter working part that strikes the grains.
Servant - servant in the house
Cherevichki - women's shoes with heels and a pointed toe
Chugunka is an obsolete name for the railway
Shandal - candlestick
Fly - a short towel or scarf
Train - elongated hem of a woman's dress
Lye - solution of wood ash
Efa - a small poisonous snake
Yushka - ear
Dishes - food, dishes
Meaning
T.F. Efremova New dictionary of the Russian language. Explanatory and word-formative
miracle
h at before
1. Wed1) A phenomenon that contradicts the laws of nature and cannot be explained by them, but is possible - according to superstitious beliefs - due to the intervention of an otherworldly force.
2) Something unprecedented, supernatural, fantastic.
a) An object, phenomenon, action that causes general surprise due to its unusualness.
b) The highest, amazing manifestation of something.
4) A fairy-tale creature (usually with a definition).
5) decomposition Usage as a playful way to address someone.
2. predicateEvaluation of someone, something. as wonderful, beautiful, amazing, wonderful; corresponds in meaning to the word: amazingly, surprisingly good.
Modern explanatory dictionary ed. "Great Soviet Encyclopedia"
MIRACLE
1) in religious and mythological ideas - a supernatural phenomenon caused by the intervention of a divine, otherworldly force... 2) (Translated) something amazing, surprising in its unusualness.
S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language
miracle
MIRACLE, -ah, plural. including miracles, -es, -esam, cf.
1. In religious ideas: a phenomenon caused by the intervention of divine power, as well as something generally unprecedented. Complete the hour. Complete the hour. Hope for miracles.(when there is no way out, there is no salvation). One of miracles!(about something completely unusual; colloquial).
2. what. Something amazing, surprising in its unusualness. Parts of art. Miracles of heroism.
3. ~ , in meaning tale Surprisingly, amazingly good (colloquial). The weather today is h.!
4. ~-. In combination with other nouns it means: extraordinary, outstanding among its own kind (colloquial). Ch.-berry. Ch.-stove. Ch.-mushroom. Ch.-tree. Suvorov's heroic heroes.
5. miracles! Expression of extreme surprise, disbelief (colloquial). Yesterday I claimed one thing, today another miracle!
It's a miracle...(obsolete colloquial) same as ~ (in 3 digits). It's amazing how good it is!
Miracles in a sieve(colloquial joke) about something. unusual or incomprehensible.
Miracle Yudo in fairy tales: ~vische.
Small Academic Dictionary of the Russian Language
miracle
A, pl. miracles, miracles, and miracles, miracles, Wed
1. (pl. miracles).
According to religious and mythological beliefs: a supernatural phenomenon caused by the intervention of a divine, otherworldly force.
He prayed for a miracle to be sent down: for the salvation of the city, for the strengthening of the falling spirit. Gogol, Taras Bulba.
2. (pl. miracles).
Something unprecedented, unusual, something that causes surprise.
Subsequently, they learned that, indeed, a miracle had happened: on the same day, men rebelled almost throughout the entire district. Bunin, Village.
(Ignatov:) I was traveling around the area - just in your area. You are famous now, you have told me so many wonderful things about you! Arbuzov, Tanya.
|| creativity P. miraculously in meaning adv. or from the field :“what”, “some”, “any”. Razg.
Inexplicably, amazingly.
(Nikolai:) Let me be curious, why on earth did you stop your mother from talking about money and by what miracle did she listen to you? A. Ostrovsky, Late love.
A grenade exploded near Maslennikov, and he only miraculously escaped. Simonov, Days and Nights.
3. only units h.
About who (or what) causes general surprise and admiration for its qualities.
You will be a rare phenomenon, a miracle of your homeland. N. Nekrasov, Song to Eremushka.
For us, lazy people who did not know systematic work, his diligence was simply a miracle. Chekhov, Privy Councilor.
- Miracle, beautiful horse! What will you take for her? L. Tolstoy, Cossacks.
|| what.
About what is the highest manifestation of something.
After a year, the painting was ready. It was truly a miracle of the brush. Gogol, Portrait.
Tatiana's conversation with the nanny is a miracle of artistic perfection! Belinsky, Works of A. Pushkin.
On this day, rich, tasty borscht was prepared, a real miracle of the soldier's culinary art. Zakrutkin, Caucasian Notes.
4. in meaning tale
Amazing, amazing.
- How she dances! how he sings! and he embroiders in gold, a miracle! Lermontov, Bela.
(Yulinka:) Yesterday we were in the park. How fun it was - wonderful! A. Ostrovsky, Profitable place.
5. (pl. miracle) usually with a definition.
A fabulous extraordinary creature.
Now the prince looked back; --- He sees a sea miracle with a green tail lying on the golden sand. Lermontov, The Sea Princess.
At dawn, at high tide, a lot of miracles and sea shells were thrown to me by a naiad in the cracks of the coastal rocks. Polonsky, At high tide.
- a miracle... - not a miracle
Ancient stem on -es-; suggest a connection through the alternation of vowels and a relationship with the Greek. κῦδος “glory, honor”, multi-level basis, like the Greek. πένθος: πάθος; here is the Greek. κῦδρός "glorious". In addition, they also bring them closer to other Indian languages. ā́-kūtiṣ f. "intention", kavíṣ m. "teacher, sage"; see Bezzenberger, BB 27, 145; Trautman, GGA, 1911, 247; BSW 132; I. Schmidt, Pluralb. 147; Meilleux, Ét. 357; Bernecker I, 161. Here I smell, smell, slightly, magician (see). Pozdnetslav. stoudo "miracle", Polish. сud – they were also influenced by the beginning of the word stranger and loved ones (see), and this is tslav. the word cannot be compared with the Greek. στύ̄ω “raise”, German. staunen “to astonish”, contrary to Bernecker (IF 10, 155; see Brandt, RFV 25, 29). See also yuʹdo.
In the dictionary of obsolete words we have included terms that are currently practically not used or are used very rarely. Outdated words and expressions are words that it is important to familiarize your child with before reading a fairy tale or explain their meaning while reading, so that the meaning of the work is perceived exactly as the authors would like. Some obsolete words and their meaning will be especially useful for the overall development of the child, for example, measures of length: vershok, fathom and others.
Outdated words in the Russian language are for the most part those words that have gone out of use in the modern world, but which our old grandparents can still very often use in communication. We can convey to children the kindness of Little Red Riding Hood, the tenderness of Thumbelina, the hard work of Cinderella and many other best character traits of the characters in the language of their great-grandparents and at the same time instill in children respect and interest in our history.
If this dictionary of outdated words of the Russian language does not contain the word you were looking for or you were not able to fully understand the meaning of existing words, write to us through the feedback form, they will definitely answer you.
Abvakhta - guardhouse Perhaps - either - perhaps, maybe Azhno - so Azovka - mythical creature Aksamit - velvet Altyn - three kopecks Asps - poisonous snakes
Babayka - a large oar attached to a boat Baet - speaks, tells Baidak - a river boat with one large sail Balagta - swamp Balakat - speak Canopy - a decorated canopy on posts Balodka - a one-handed hammer Basa - beauty, decoration, panache Batog - stick Bergamots - variety pears Pregnancy - an armful of Bosoviki - slippers Boyars - rich and noble people War - battle Brotherhood - brotherhood Armor - metal clothing that protects a warrior from blows Damask steel - weapons made of steel Burochki - a type of warm boots for cold climates, often felt boots Bureau - table with paper storage box
To go on patrol - to guard, to guard In a bag - to chase Vacation time - vacation Vacation - vacation To know - to know Venuti - to wind, to blow Vershok - an old measure of length, equal to 4.4 centimeters Vestimo - of course, it goes without saying Vetoshka - a rag Knight - a brave warrior , bogatyr Vovan is a liquid fat extracted from the fat of marine mammals. Used for lighting in lamps and street lamps Meet - meet Eversion - the rhizome of a large tree turned out of the ground Endure - withstand, endure, endure
Galushka - dumpling cooked in water or borscht Galyota - a small merchant ship Ganat - guessing Voice of obedience - an answering voice Gorazd - knows how Gorka - a pyramid-shaped shelf for expensive dishes Upper room - room Rowing - a narrow dam on the river
Hay girl - maid Ten - 24 sheets Marvel - surprise, amaze
Food - food, food If - if
Zhaleika - a pipe made of willow bark Zhban - a jug with a lid Burmitsky (Burmite) pearls - large and round pearls Zhernovtsy - a small hand-made chalk
Zagnetka - a place in the fore-furnace where the heat is raked Zagnetka - a place in front of the firebox where the heat is raked Get started - start fasting Ahead of time - sing Lazarus in advance - flatteringly beg Sinisters - small fantastic creatures
Imperial - Indus gold coin - even, so
Treasury - money, wealth, property Kamka - silk colored fabric with patterns Karmazin - dark red cloth Kniksen - bow with a squat as a sign of greeting or gratitude from females Casing - outerwear made of leather Kokurochka - butter flatbread Kolymaga - carriage, in which noble people traveled Korob - a basket, a basket Oblique fathom - an ancient Russian measure of length, the distance from the toes to the end of the fingers of an outstretched hand diagonally is 216 cm Krinitsa - a well, a spring Krosna - a home loom Kudel - a bunch of flax or wool Body - wicker basket
Plate - iron or steel armor worn by warriors Lyko - the bark of a young linden, willow, elm, bast shoes, baskets, baskets are woven from it Lytka - shirk, shirk Lytka - part of the leg below the knee
Damask sword - a sword made of especially strong steel It’s not my first time - it’s not my first time Hoe - a hand-held agricultural tool Ant - overgrown with grass (ant)
Biggest - senior Whip - belt whip Namale - soap Unsalted to sip - be deceived in your expectations Nikoli - never
Flint - a stone or piece of steel for cutting fire from flint Once - once, once Come to your senses - come to your senses Scream - plow Chill - freeze
Boarding house - a school with a dormitory for students Blame - reproach, reproach Finger - finger New - welcoming a newborn Polati - wide sleeping bunks in a hut under the ceiling between the stove and the opposite wall Pomelo - a broom wrapped in a rag at the end, used for sweeping ash in the stove Tried - tried on Kidnapper - thief Start - start Clearing - a clearing or lawn in the forest not overgrown with trees Jumpy - fast Pryazhon - fried (fry in oil) Span - an ancient measure, the distance between the thumb and index finger of the hand
Army - army Rosstan - the crossroads of two roads To dress up - to persuade
Sazhen - an ancient Russian measure of length, the distance of the arm span from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other Salop - an ancient outer women's dress Sam-ten - ten times more Sam-pyat - five times more Sam-Thursday - four times more Seredovich - a middle-aged man A scolded tablecloth - a tablecloth woven with patterns Conscience will not hurt - conscience does not bother Shrike, shrike - a bird from the order of passerines Student - a well with icy water Sousek - a chest in which flour or grain is stored Twist - twist, twist several strands into one a thread
- Wolf ticket (wolf passport)
In the 19th century, the name of a document that blocked access to the civil service, educational institution, etc. Today, the phraseological unit is used to mean a sharply negative characteristic of someone’s work.
The origin of this turnover is usually explained by the fact that the person who received such a document was not allowed to live in one place for more than 2-3 days and had to wander like a wolf.
In addition, in many combinations, wolf means “abnormal, inhuman, bestial,” which strengthens the contrast between the holder of the wolf card and other “normal” people. - Lies like a gray gelding
There are several options for the origin of phraseological units.
1. The word gelding comes from the Mongolian morin "horse". In historical monuments, the horse siv and gelding siv are very typical; the adjective sivy “light gray, gray-haired” shows the old age of the animal. The verb to lie had a different meaning in the past - “to talk nonsense, talk idle talk; chatter.” The gray gelding here is a stallion that has turned gray from long work, and figuratively - a man who is already talking from old age and talking annoying nonsense.
2. Gelding is a stallion, gray is old. The expression is explained by the usual boasting of old people about their strength, as if still preserved, like that of the young.
3. The turnover is associated with the attitude towards the gray horse as a stupid creature. Russian peasants avoided, for example, laying the first furrow on a gray gelding, because he was “lying” - he was wrong, laying it incorrectly. - Give oak- die
The phrase is associated with the verb zudubet - “to cool down, lose sensitivity, become hard.” An oak coffin has always been a sign of special honor for the deceased. Peter I introduced a tax on oak coffins as a luxury item. - Alive, smoking room!
The origin of the expression is associated with the game "Smoking Room", popular in the 18th century in Russia at gatherings on winter evenings. The players sat in a circle and passed a burning torch to each other, saying “Alive, alive, Smoking Room, not dead, thin legs, short soul...”. The loser was the one whose torch went out and began to smoke or smoke. Later this game was replaced by "Burn, burn clearly so that it does not go out." - Nick down
In the old days, almost the entire population in Russian villages was illiterate. To record the bread handed over to the landowner, the work performed, etc., so-called tags were used - wooden sticks up to a fathom long (2 meters), on which notches were made with a knife. The tags were split into two parts so that the marks were on both: one remained with the employer, the other with the performer. The calculation was made based on the number of notches. Hence the expression “notch on the nose,” meaning: remember well, take into account for the future. - Play spillikins
In the old days, the game of “spillikins” was common in Rus'. It consisted of using a small hook to pull out, without touching the others, one of the other piles of all the spillikins - all kinds of small toy things: hatchets, glasses, baskets, barrels. This is how not only children, but also adults spent time on long winter evenings.
Over time, the expression “playing spillikins” began to mean an empty pastime. - Latem cabbage soup to slurp
Lapti - wicker shoes made of bast (the subcortical layer of linden trees), covering only the feet - in Rus' were the only affordable footwear for poor peasants, and shchi - a type of cabbage soup - was their simplest and favorite food. Depending on the wealth of the family and the time of year, cabbage soup could be either green, that is, with sorrel, or sour - made from sauerkraut, with meat, or lean - without meat, which was eaten during fasting or in cases of extreme poverty.
About a person who could not earn enough to buy boots and more refined food, they said that he “slurps on cabbage soup,” that is, he lives in terrible poverty and ignorance. - Fawn
The word “fawn” comes from the German phrase “Ich liebe sie” (I love you). Seeing the insincerity in the frequent repetition of this “fawn”, Russian people wittily formed from these German words the Russian word “fawn” - it means to curry favor, to flatter someone, to achieve someone’s favor or favor with flattery. - Fishing in troubled waters
Stunning has long been one of the prohibited methods of catching fish, especially during spawning. There is a well-known fable by the ancient Greek poet Aesop about a fisherman who muddied the water around his nets, driving blinded fish into them. Then the expression went beyond fishing and acquired a broader meaning - to take advantage of an unclear situation.
There is also a well-known proverb: “Before you catch a fish, you [need] to muddy the waters,” that is, “deliberately create confusion for profit.” - Small fry
The expression came from peasant everyday life. In the Russian northern lands, a plow is a peasant community of 3 to 60 households. And small fry called a very poor community, and then its poor inhabitants. Later, officials occupying a low position in the government structure also began to be called small fry. - The thief's hat is on fire
The expression goes back to an old joke about how a thief was found in the market.
After futile attempts to find the thief, people turned to the sorcerer for help; he shouted loudly: “Look! The thief’s hat is on fire!” And suddenly everyone saw how a man grabbed his hat. So the thief was discovered and convicted. - Lather your head
In the old days, a tsarist soldier served indefinitely - until death or complete disability. Since 1793, a 25-year period of military service was introduced. The landowner had the right to give his serfs as soldiers for misconduct. Since recruits (recruits) had their hair shaved off and were referred to as “shaved”, “shaved their forehead”, “soaped their head”, the expression “I’ll soap my head” became synonymous with threat in the mouths of the rulers. In a figurative sense, “soap your head” means: to give a severe reprimand, to strongly scold. - Neither fish nor fowl
In Western and Central Europe of the 16th century, a new movement appeared in Christianity - Protestantism (lat. “to protest, object”). Protestants, unlike Catholics, opposed the Pope, denied holy angels and monasticism, arguing that each person himself can turn to God. Their rituals were simple and inexpensive. There was a bitter struggle between Catholics and Protestants. Some of them, in accordance with Christian commandments, ate modest meat, others preferred lean fish. If a person did not join any movement, then he was contemptuously called “neither fish nor fowl.” Over time, they began to talk about a person who does not have a clearly defined position in life, who is not capable of active, independent actions. - There is no place to put samples- disapprovingly about a depraved woman.
An expression based on a comparison with a golden thing passing from one owner to another. Each new owner demanded that the product be checked by a jeweler and tested. When the product had been in many hands, there was no longer any room left for testing. - If we don't wash, we'll just ride
Before the invention of electricity, a heavy cast iron iron was heated over a fire and, until it cooled down, they ironed clothes with it. But this process was difficult and required a certain skill, so the linen was often “rolled”. To do this, washed and almost dried laundry was fixed on a special rolling pin - a round piece of wood similar to the one used to roll out dough nowadays. Then, using a ruble - a curved corrugated board with a handle - the rolling pin, along with the laundry wound onto it, was rolled along a wide flat board. At the same time, the fabric was stretched and straightened. Professional laundresses knew that well-rolled linen has a fresher appearance, even if the washing was not entirely successful.
This is how the expression “by washing, by rolling” appeared, that is, to achieve results in more than one way. - Break a leg- wishing good luck in something.
The expression was originally used as a “spell” designed to deceive evil spirits (this expression was used to admonish those going on a hunt; it was believed that with a direct wish for good luck one could “jinx” the prey).
Answer "To hell!" should have further protected the hunter. To hell - this is not an expletive like “Go to hell!”, but a request to go to hell and tell him about it (so that the hunter does not get any fluff or feather). Then the unclean one will do the opposite, and what is needed will happen: the hunter will return “with down and feathers,” that is, with prey. - Let's beat swords into ploughshares
The expression goes back to the Old Testament, where it is said that “the time will come when the nations will beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight.”
In the Old Church Slavonic language, “ploughshare” is a tool for cultivating land, something like a plow. The dream of establishing universal peace is figuratively expressed in the sculpture of the Soviet sculptor E.V. Vuchetich, depicting a blacksmith forging a sword into a plow, which is installed in front of the UN building in New York. - Goof
Prosak is a drum with teeth in a machine, with the help of which wool was carded. Getting into trouble meant being maimed and losing an arm. To get into trouble is to get into trouble, into an awkward position. - Knock you down
Confuse, confuse.
Pantalik is a distorted version of Pantelik, a mountain in Attica (Greece) with a stalactite cave and grottoes in which it was easy to get lost. - Straw Widow
Among the Russians, Germans and a number of other peoples, a bundle of straw served as a symbol of a concluded agreement: marriage or purchase and sale. To break the straw meant to break the contract, to separate. There was also a custom of making the newlyweds’ bed on sheaves of rye. Wedding wreaths were also woven from straw flowers. A wreath (from the Sanskrit word “vene” - “bundle”, meaning a bundle of hair) was a symbol of marriage.
If the husband left somewhere for a long time, they said that the woman was left with nothing but straw, which is how the expression “straw widow” appeared. - Dance from the stove
The expression became popular thanks to the novel by the 19th century Russian writer V.A. Sleptsov "A Good Man". The main character of the novel, "non-employee nobleman" Sergei Terebenev, returns to Russia after long wanderings around Europe. He remembers how he was taught to dance as a child. Seryozha started all his movements from the stove, and if he made a mistake, the teacher told him: “Well, go to the stove, start over.” Terebenev realized that his life circle had closed: he started from the village, then Moscow, Europe, and, having reached the edge, he again returned to the village, to the stove. - Grated kalach
In Rus', kalach is wheat bread in the shape of a castle with a bow. Grated kalach was baked from hard kalach dough, which was kneaded and grated for a long time. This is where the proverb “Don’t grate, don’t crush, don’t make kalach” came from, which in a figurative sense means: “troubles teach a person.” And the words “grated kalach” have become popular - this is what they say about an experienced person who has seen a lot, who has “rubbed between people” a lot. - Pull the gimp
Gimp is a very thin, flattened, twisted gold or silver wire used for embroidery. Making gimp consists of pulling it out. This work, done manually, is tedious, monotonous and time-consuming. Therefore, the expression “pull the gimp” (or “spread the gimp”) in a figurative sense began to mean: to do something monotonous, tedious, causing an annoying loss of time. - In the middle of nowhere
In ancient times, clearings in dense forests were called kuligs. The pagans considered them bewitched. Later, people settled deep into the forest, looked for swarms, and settled there with their whole family. This is where the expression comes from: in the middle of nowhere, that is, very far away. - Too
In Slavic mythology, Chur or Shchur is the ancestor, ancestor, god of the hearth - the brownie.
Initially, “chur” meant: limit, border.
Hence the exclamation: “chur,” meaning a prohibition to touch something, to cross some line, beyond some limit (in spells against “evil spirits,” in games, etc.), a requirement to comply with some condition , agreement
From the word “too much” the word “too much” was born, meaning: to go beyond “too much”, to go beyond the limit. “Too much” means too much, too much, too much. - Sherochka with a masherochka
Until the 18th century, women were educated at home. In 1764, the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was opened in St. Petersburg at the Resurrection Smolny Convent. The daughters of nobles studied there from the ages of 6 to 18. The subjects of study were the law of God, the French language, arithmetic, drawing, history, geography, literature, dancing, music, various types of home economics, as well as subjects of “secular manners”. The usual address of college girls to each other was the French ma chere. From these French words came the Russian words “sherochka” and “masherochka”, which are currently used to name a couple consisting of two women. - Walk trump
In ancient Rus', boyars, unlike commoners, sewed a collar embroidered with silver, gold and pearls, which was called a trump card, to the collar of their ceremonial caftan. The trump card stuck out impressively, giving the boyars a proud posture. Walking as a trump card means walking is important, but trumping means showing off something.
