What does the word "equilibrium" mean? The first association is the well-known film of the same name about utopia, an ideal world of the future. And the second ... Here we will not run ahead, but consider everything in order.
The words
Everything flows, everything changes. The language does not stand aside. Some words disappear without a trace, others invariably appear. The latter, about new words, will be discussed in this article, namely, about the borrowed lexical unit “equilibrium”. Its meaning can be found in the reference book “Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language” edited by A.N. Chudinova. However, in a dictionary entry, the word has a slightly different form - "equilibre" - and is considered obsolete, almost out of use. It turns out that in the lexical structure of the Russian language there are two tokens that are similar in sound and identical in meaning. One passed into the category of “books,” and the other was already in use, albeit not in everyday life. Therefore, it is imperative to understand what it is - "equilibrum" - and what it is "eaten" with.
Equilibrium: the meaning of the word
As mentioned above, in the Russian language there is a similar, cognate word "equilibr" or "equibiber", which, according to many reference books, is interpreted as "equilibrium". It came from the French language - équilbre.
"Equilibrium" is equilibrium, and he came to Russian from the language of Misty Albion. But it is not native English either. Then where does this word come from? Latin is considered his ancestress. This is the so-called indirect borrowing, that is, the transition of a word from one language to another using an intermediary language. The opposite process is “direct borrowing”. So, in literal translation from Latin aequus is "equal", and libra is "scales." In other words, “equilibrium” is equilibrium, equilibrium, balance, as well as “equilibrium”.
Nomad words
Among the foregoing, the concept of "borrowing" has been repeated more than once. In this article, it can be called key. Why? Firstly, the equilibrium is a borrowed token. And secondly, the question is still controversial, but is it necessary to use a foreign word, if there is a long-used analogue in the native language, does the given new-fangled tendency clog the language?
There are two warring camps on this subject. Some are convinced, especially in the light of recent political events, that such words are only a tribute to fashion, and it is perniciously reflected in the language. There are fears, and they are not groundless, that sooner or later foreign words will fill our speech and gradually erase from the memory of people the original Russian words. But there is no language - no people.
For example, as mentioned above, equilibrium is a balance, that is, in our mother tongue there is not only its analogue, but also many synonyms: poise, balance, harmony. Why then destroy our identity?
Another opinion
Whatever the nation, it cannot live and develop in complete isolation from others. To a greater or lesser extent, but she is in contact with other nations. For example, trade, industrial, economic, cultural, and political ties are developing. And as a result - the mutual influence of peoples on each other. Language is a direct reflection of such a relationship, because it is the main means of communication. Therefore, one cannot say that the lexicon of the Russian or any other language did not pass and does not continue to pass its difficult path of development. If we take each of our words and consider it closer, it turns out that a lot is not old Russian, but appeared as a result of borrowings. We just don’t know about it anymore. We remember only what happened relatively recently, and what happened in ancient times has already become native.
Thus, foreign words are not only a minus, but also a fat plus, since while maintaining the main vocabulary and grammatical structure, they enrich the language, eliminate stagnation and make up for voids invisible to the eye - missing semantic nuances. For example, we already know that “equilibrium” is equilibrium, but in such turns as “mating equilibrium” or “equilibrium of a drop of water”, it sounds appropriate and has a different, more saturated sound. Is not it so?
Total
One more fact speaks in favor of the latter opinion, supporting the influence of other "overseas" languages on Russian. Consider it as an example of the analyzed word.
The lexeme “equilibr” or “equilibr” in the meaning of “equilibrium” came into the Russian language a long time ago and at least in the 18-19 century was widely used. For example, we read the letters of A.O. Rosseta to A.O. Smirnova, maid of honor of the Russian imperial court: “Fool Europe screams about the Ekibira and fears the influence of Russia! What kind of Ekibiber is it, when 40 years ago, England instigated the whole of Europe against France, as it is now arming the whole of Europe against Russia. ” Then, over time, the fashion for everything French comes to naught, and this token becomes obsolete and goes out of daily life, like many other French words. However, nature does not tolerate emptiness, as, incidentally, the “perpetual motion machine” is language, and the “equilibrum” comes in place of the “Ekibiber”. In other words, borrowing is a natural process. From the outside, for a simple layman it looks like a tribute to fashion, but in fact it is a creative act, active and always striving for an equilibrium - balance, harmony, with the endless acquisition of the right thing and cutting off everything that is already dead.