EntranceEtymological dictionary of the Russian language interesting words. Origin of Russian words
We don't often think about how the words we use originated and how their meanings may have changed over time. Meanwhile, words are quite living beings. New words appear literally every day. Some do not linger in the language, while others remain. Words, like people, have their own history, their own destiny. They may have relatives, a rich pedigree, and, on the contrary, be orphans. A word can tell us about its nationality, its parents, its origin. An interesting science - etymology - studies the history of vocabulary and the origin of words.
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.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 came 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.New words appear literally every day. Some do not linger in the language, while others remain. Words, like people, have their own history, their own destiny. They may have relatives, a rich pedigree, and, on the contrary, be orphans. A word can tell us about its nationality, its parents, its origin...
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. It is believed that 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 tasty orange balls from eastern countries. And they began to trade them with their neighbors. They, of course, asked: “Where do the apples come from?” - because we haven’t heard of oranges, but the shape of this fruit is similar to an apple. The traders answered honestly: “The apples are from China, Chinese!” The Dutch word for apple is appel, and the Chinese word for apple is sien.
Doctor
In the old days they treated with incantations, spells, and various whisperings. An ancient doctor or healer would say something like this to the patient: “Go away, disease, into the quicksand, into the dense forests...” And muttered various words over the sick person. Do you know what muttering or chatter was called until the beginning of the 19th century? Muttering and chatter were then called lies. To mumble meant to lie. He who trumpets is a trumpeter, who weaves is a weaver, and whoever lies is a doctor.
Scammer
In Rus', swindlers were not called deceivers or thieves. This was the name of the craftsmen who made the purse, i.e. wallets.
Insect
The origin of the word animal is quite obvious: from belly - “life”. But how to explain the strange name of the insect?
To answer this question, you do not need to be an entomologist, that is, a scientist who studies insects, or a linguist. It’s enough to remember what these same insects look like. Do you remember? Animals with “notches” on their bodies are insects. By the way, pure tracing paper from the French insect - from the Latin insectum “notched, with notches (animal).”
Here we will answer another simple question, why insects are called boogers. Yes, because the antennae of insects resemble goat horns. You can't call them goats - they are too small, but boogers - just right. Remember, from Chukovsky: “Little-legged goat-bug”...
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 came 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.”
The other day
Now the word the other day is almost synonymous with the word just now and means “recently, one of these days, but I don’t remember which days.”
However, the other day comes from the Old Russian phrase onom dni (“on that day,” that is, “on that day”), which was used as a completely accurate indication of specific days that were already discussed. Something like this: on the second and third of February, someone met someone in a nearby forest, and on those same days, that is, the other day, that is, the other day, such and such happened in Paris...
In general, with the invention and spread of calendars and chronometers, all these beautiful words really became very outdated and lost their true meaning. And their use is hardly justified now. If only for a catchphrase.
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.
Everyone who has studied more or less well knows about borrowed words, and about outdated ones, and about neologisms. But how surprising it can still be to learn that the words that I have used all my life and considered them originally my own, it turns out, have completely non-Russian roots!
1. Doctor
It is known that ancient healers treated patients with spells. Usually they said something like: “Go away, disease, into the quicksand, into the dense forests,” and so on. 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? In fact, this is true, but initially this word did not have a negative connotation.
2. Bully
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. Over time, the surname became a common noun, and the word itself became international, denoting a person who grossly violates public order.
3. Station
This 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, and especially with 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.
4. Fraudster
In Ancient Rus' they did not know the Turkic word “pocket”, because money was then carried in special wallets - purses. From the word “moshna” comes “swindler” - a person who stole money from the purse.
5. Heaven
One version of the origin of this word is that the Russian word “heaven” comes from the combination of “no, no” and “demon, demons” - that is, it literally means a place free from demons. However, there is another version, which is probably closer to the truth. Most Slavic languages have words similar to "sky", and they most likely came from the Latin word for "cloud" (nebula).
6. Shales
Who doesn't know this word?! It seems that there is no Russian-speaking person who would not use it every summer, calling them rubber slippers. But where did this word come from? The point is this: in the Soviet Union, a famous manufacturer of rubber slippers was the Polymer plant, which was located in the city of Slantsy, Leningrad region. Many buyers believed that the word “Slates” embossed on the soles was precisely the name of the shoes. Then the word entered the active vocabulary and became a synonym for the word “slippers.”
7. Orange
Until the 16th century, Europeans had no idea about the existence of oranges. Russian people - especially since oranges didn’t grow in Rus'! Oranges became famous after they were brought from China by Portuguese sailors, who began trading them with their neighbors, calling these exotic fruits “Chinese apples.” The Dutch word for apple is appel, and the Chinese word for apple is sien. Borrowed from Dutch, the word appelsien is a translation of the French phrase pomme de Chine - “apple from China”.
8. Nonsense
At the end of the 17th century there lived a French doctor named Gali Mathieu. He was known for treating his patients with jokes. The doctor gained such popularity that one day he began to not have time for all the visits and he even had to send his healing puns by mail. It is believed that this is how the word “nonsense” arose, which at that time meant a healing joke, a pun.
The doctor, of course, immortalized his name, but the word, which has firmly entered the Russian language, currently has a completely different meaning.
When we speak a language, we rarely think about how the words we use came to be and how their meanings may have changed over time. Etymology is the name given to the science of the history of vocabulary and the origin of words.
New words appear literally every day. Some do not linger in the language, while others remain. Words, like people, have their own history, their own destiny. They may have relatives, a rich pedigree, and, on the contrary, be orphans. A word can tell us about its nationality, its parents, its origin.
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. It is believed that 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.
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.
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 tasty orange balls from eastern countries. And they began to trade them with their neighbors. They, of course, asked: “Where do the apples come from?” - because we haven’t heard of oranges, but the shape of this fruit is similar to an apple. The traders answered honestly: “The apples are from China, Chinese!” The Dutch word for apple is appel and the Chinese word is sien.
Doctor
In the old days they treated with incantations, spells, and various whisperings. An ancient doctor or healer would say something like this to the patient: “Go away, disease, into the quicksand, into the dense forests...” And muttered various words over the sick person. Do you know what muttering or chatter was called until the beginning of the 19th century? Muttering and chatter were then called lies. To mumble meant “to lie.” He who trumpets is a trumpeter, who weaves is a weaver, and who lies is a doctor.
Scammer
In Rus', swindlers were not called deceivers or thieves. This was the name of the craftsmen who made the purse, i.e. wallets.
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 came 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 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.
We don't often think about how the words we use originated and how their meanings may have changed over time. Meanwhile, words are quite living beings. New words appear literally every day. Some do not linger in the language, while others remain. Words, like people, have their own history, their own destiny. They may have relatives, a rich pedigree, and, on the contrary, be orphans. A word can tell us about its nationality, its parents, its origin. A very interesting science deals with the study of the history of vocabulary and the origin of words - etymology.
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 - purses. From the word “moshna” the word “swindler” is derived - a specialist in thefts from the purse.
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 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 came 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.