What is maybe? This mysterious word is not translated into any language of the world. But the Russian people do not cease to believe in him throughout the history of their existence. Maybe Avos is some ancient pagan deity promising good luck in business and success in any undertakings? It was not without reason that F. M. Dostoevsky, through the lips of the hero of one of his novels, claimed that our chance was a great thing.
The historical roots of the Russian "Avos"
Linguists do not stop arguing what part of speech this word is. V. I. Dahl believed that maybe - this is an adverb, consisting of a combination of the first letters of the phrase "now." Today, linguists attribute “maybe” to an amplifying particle, an introductory word, and in some established expressions the omnipresent word takes the form of a noun. For example, in the proverbs “Maybe I won’t bring it to good” and “Maybe I don’t give a deposit”.
According to the connoisseur of Russian literature Valery Mokienko, initially the word "Avos" was indicative: "but now something will happen." Over time, the vowel sound in the ending was lost, and the meaning of the word “maybe” took on the meaning “if,” “suddenly.” By the 17th century, they began to use it in colloquial terms as “maybe,” “probably,” “God willing.” This tendency is clearly seen in the following expressions: “maybe we will meet again” or “maybe things will work out”. That is, the speaker suggests that some event will happen by itself, without much effort. Thus, the phrase "hope for chance" takes the meaning of "rely on fate, trust the occasion."
Mysterious word in history and literature
Most likely, the rock opera Juno and Avos, created by composer Alexei Rybnikov on the libretto by Andrei Voznesensky, is known to many. The work tells of the love of the Russian Count Rezanov and a young Spanish girl named Conchita. Such a fact really took place in history. Distracted from the romantic side of the plot, we turn to the practical background, that is, try to understand what Juno and Avos are.
This happened in 1806. Chamberlain of the imperial court Nikolay Petrovich Rezanov in order to deliver provisions to the Russian settlers of the American continent equipped two sea vessels, one of which was called "Juno" by the name of the ancient Roman goddess. It would be logical to assume that the second frigate was named after some deity.
However, on this score there is a more prosaic version. The fact is that the Count acquired “Juno” from an American industrialist, and the ship already had a name. The second ship was built urgently, and at the time of its launching, one of the onlookers on the shore, doubting the strength of the new sailing ship, expressed doubt: “But will it not fall apart?” To which the master, who supervised the construction, replied: "Nothing, maybe it will swim." So the one-mast tender got its name. It turns out that here “maybe” is not a deity, but a hope for a successful outcome of events.
Belief in happy chance and hope in God's providence
Proverbs and sayings in which this word is mentioned are often ironic or reprehensible in nature: "Hoping for a chance - and the thing went wrong" or "Perhaps it is true - siblings, both lies."
Therefore, one cannot say that the notorious word is a particle of the broad Russian soul. Is it good or bad to hope for luck? Based on the meaning of the above proverbs, folk wisdom does not really encourage such behavior, considers it a sign of laziness, sloppiness, and shortsightedness.
Although sometimes this word serves as an incitement to action, a call not to be afraid of difficulties, to believe that everything will end happily: “Perhaps we will break through, do not drift, we will not disappear!” Here, a synonym for the word “maybe” could sound like “God will help”, “luck will be on our side”. Although another well-known proverb suppresses this impulse: "Hope for God, but don’t be a bad boy."
Why a string bag is called a mesh bag
Another product of Avos is a purse woven from strong threads, which in Soviet times was in almost every house and was used to carry products and other goods purchased in the store. Experts say that this compact little thing, folded easily fit into your pocket, could withstand weight up to 70 kilograms.
More often it was simply called a net, but thanks to the reprise of the famous satirist Arkady Raikin, she got a middle name. “But this, comrades, a string bag! And I’ll bring something in it! ” - the great master of the word of art amused the audience, pacing the stage with an empty bag. I liked the funny name, it became popular and became a household name for useful things in everyday life.