The word "school" is so familiar in our vocabulary that few people wonder where the word came from. “School” - this is how it is pronounced in Russian, “schole” - this is how it sounded in Ancient Greece, where it comes from. True, the interpretation was a little different: "rest", "leisure" and "idleness", in other words - "a pleasant pastime." The etymology of the word “school” meant by this not total inaction and relaxation, but conducting, during leisure time, clever and instructive conversations, a favorite art of Greek philosophers. Over time, these sages and thinkers had regular students, and the concept of "school" began to mean the educational process, and later the room adapted for it.
Classes at a school of the past tense did not differ much from modern lessons. Naturally, the temporary difference made its own adjustments, but the principle is painfully similar to our usual one: the same naughty students, strict teachers and boring lessons.
School of Ancient Time
The learning process took place at the very first stage of human development, therefore, we can assume that the first schools appeared in that period. The meaning of the word “school” in the Ancient World had a different meaning: children were taught not literacy (there was no mention of it), but the ability to survive in the outside world. Hunting and martial arts were the most important lessons for boys. Girls, as at all times, mastered housekeeping, needlework, cooking. Well, where without exams? Of course, they were, but they represented a difficult test, the so-called "rite of initiation". To test the willpower and patience, the young man could be tortured with fire, beat, cut through the skin, which almost always caused the teenager to lose consciousness. Successful passing of such an exam was a pride for the boy, as he became a full member of adult society.
Sumerians: a highly educated nation
Very interesting information has been preserved about the Sumerian schools - one of the first civilizations. "House of tablets" - the so-called educational institutions of the population, which for 3 thousand years BC. e. mastered pottery, skillfully irrigate fields, weave, spin, forge implements of labor from copper and bronze.
The Sumerians skillfully wrote poems, composed music, had their own written language, knew astronomy, and mastered the basic rules of algebra (multiplication, division, and even extraction from the square root). It was these schools that gave way to life for young men, who later became leaders.
School in Egypt
It was very difficult for schoolchildren in Egypt, because the educational process was complicated: it was necessary to know more than 700 characters, the writing of which required great accuracy.
An indispensable subject of training was the three-tailed whip, lying at the feet of the teacher. Pupils every school day began with memorizing poems, repeating large passages aloud for the teacher, and at the end of the day they could already tell them freely.
How the ancient Greeks studied
In ancient Greece, only boys from wealthy families were allowed to attend school - the sons of slaves did not have a place there, so they were forced to start working from an early age. The girls were at home training, under the supervision of their mother, and mastered the sciences that could be useful to them in their future family life: home economics, music, needlework, weaving and, of course, diploma. Studying at school was paid. And since the Athenians, like all slave owners, despised people working for money, teachers did not enjoy respect in society. The meaning of the word “school” was associated with the teacher, and therefore with the poor lifestyle that he led. If there was no news about a person for a long time, his friends said that the latter either died or became a teacher. A miserable existence did not allow him to even make himself felt.
Boys attended school from the age of 7 and must be accompanied by a slave teacher who looked after the child and wore school items. The main lessons were writing, reading and counting. It is from those ancient times that the origin of the word "school" takes place.
The reading consisted in the study of Homer's poems - "Iliad" and "Odyssey." In addition to gaining additional knowledge of geography, the child was given an example of the courage and perseverance of the heroes of works in the struggle against difficulties.
In the account, pebbles and a special board with the digits marked on it served as visual aids: units, tens, hundreds.
Writing was first done on a piece of wood covered with wax, and later on papyrus. The predecessor of the modern pen was style - a special metal or bone stick sharpened from one end.
Particular attention was paid to music, which was an integral part of the life of the Greeks. Each boy learned to sing and play the flute or kifar.
Also, students were diligently engaged in gymnastics, which gives the body harmony, flexibility - Greece needed a healthy nation.
Unlike modern schools (in which a small percentage of students are interested in the origin of the word “school”), in past institutions, teachers could punish children for disobedience and poor performance. There were sticks and rods for this.
At school, classes were completed by 16 years. Children of wealthy parents could continue their education for the next 2 years.
1 September is the day of knowledge
The history of the word "school" is always associated with the date of September 1 - the next vital step with bouquets of flowers, a meeting with friends and the first call. Why did you choose this day to start the school year? If the origin of the word "school" is associated with Ancient Greece, then the founder of the autumn tradition is Byzantium, in which September 1 marked the beginning of the creation of the world by the Lord. It was to this number that field work was completed, in which both old and young were involved. The Grand Duke Ivan III at the end of the 15th century announced on September 1 the beginning of the New Year (otherwise, the New Year) and the church-state holiday. Later, by decree of Peter the Great, the New Year was moved to the usual January 1, and the church and agricultural calendar were left unchanged due to the employment of the population during the period of agricultural suffering.
September 1, school doors open in countries such as the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states. In Germany and Spain in each province, the school year depends on the timing of the harvest and begins no later than October 1. In Italy, this date is the starting point of the start of classes. Children of the Danes go to school in mid-August, and the British, Canadians and Americans - on the first Tuesday of September. The etymology of the word "school" unites all countries, even Japan, sending the younger generation to receive knowledge on April 1.
The meaning of the word "school"
In modern Russian, the word "school" is given much more importance than we are used to.
So, synonyms for the word "school" can be easily selected, knowing its full meaning. It:
- educational institution (primary and secondary, higher school);
- specialized educational institution (music, children's sports school);
- educational system as a whole;
- learning, acquiring experience (philological school, school of life);
- socio-political, scientific and artistic direction (Moscow Linguistic School, School of Contemporary Art);
- nursery for growing plants.
Based on the above definitions, you can choose synonyms for the word "school". This is an educational institution, school, gymnasium, nursery, film school, intelligence school, boarding school, preparedness, style, class, savvy and a number of other words.
School: root and root words
The root of the word “school” is the basis for such derivatives: “schoolboy”, “schoolgirl”, “schoolboy”, “schoolboy”, “schoolboy”. By the way, the word "schoolboy" is understood as "messing around", "kidding", that is, to lead like a schoolboy. "School" means tricks characteristic of the student, the child. The word “schoolboy” used to be used, which, by mistake, was borrowed from the Ukrainian language and is now obsolete. In fact, it has Polish roots ("szkolarz" - this is how it is written by Poles). From the word "scholar" there are derivatives - "scholarship" and "scholarly", the meaning of which in the Ukrainian language has both positive and negative meanings and stands for:
- collective to "schoolboy";
- stay at school;
- following primitive, dogmatic norms, patterns, a helpless student approach to something.
- student of bad behavior;
- neglect of personality. This can be observed in the works of many Russian writers.
According to the interpretation of V. Dahl, "scholarship" is defined as a dry and dumb learning, pedantry, relentlessly following the accepted, often absurd and petty rules.
The origin of the word "school" according to Y. Kamensky
There is another version of the origin of the word “school”, consisting of the abbreviation invented by the Czech teacher and thinker J. Kamensky (1562-1670). He developed the well-known idea of ​​universal education in his native language, and gave the name to it from the initial letters of the motto, translated into Russian, which sounded like "Wise to think, act nobly, speak skillfully."
History of some words
Just like the history of the word “school”, the origin of the words associated with it is noteworthy.
Portfolio. It has French roots and consists of two parts: “port” (“wear”) and “fel” (“sheet of paper”).
Notebook. It comes from the Greek "tetradion", which means "folded in four parts." In this way, the Greeks in ancient times made notebooks, stitching 4 sheets of paper for convenience.
Vacation. The favorite word of all schoolchildren in literal translation from Latin means "little dogs." Where is the connection? The Romans called the star Sirius, as they believed, the hunting dog of the hunter Orion, the "vacation" (dog). When Sirius appeared in the sky in Rome, a very hot summer began and a break was declared in all classes, which was called "vacation".