Everyone knows what the playpen is. The interpretation of the word in this case may vary for different people. This disagreement is due to the fact that the term has several meanings. So, what are they and what is the reason for their occurrence?
Manege: what does a word mean?
This word has many meanings. Here are the most famous of them.
- This is a structure or fenced area for learning the art of riding and for training horses. Also, a similar building is used for various types of equestrian competitions.
- The arena for circus performances also bears a similar name.
- In pre-revolutionary Russia, werenas were called premises intended for infantry drill in those days when the weather did not allow doing it outdoors.
- A similar name is given to some specialized sports grounds for training.
- Several place names with this name are known. This is a village in the suburbs and a neighborhood in Lipetsk.
- There are several buildings called arenas. These are exhibition halls in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as a training room for soldiers in Ottawa.
- Each young mother has her own understanding of the term "playpen". What such a word means is well known to families in which babies have recently appeared. Fenced on all sides by a small portable platform for children who barely learned (or have not yet learned) to walk, in which you can safely leave your child unattended for a while. Most often, this device is called the diminutive word "playpen".
History of the term
In the Russian language, as well as in English, the word “playpen” (what it is, is indicated in the first paragraph) came from French. Translated from the languages of Rousseau and Napoleon, the noun manège meant "carousel". At first glance, it seems that this term has nothing to do with the arena, but this is a misconception.
The fact is that initially they called the carousel the equestrian ballet, which appeared as entertainment for the royal court of France in the 16th century.
Empress Catherine II introduced fashion into the Russian Empire into horse shows.
With her light hand, this royal hobby began to enjoy great love among the landowners, who organized their own horse-drawn carousels in their estates. However, by the beginning of the XX century. the fashion for horse ballets began to decline, and after it completely dried up.
At one time, to participate in manège, you had to be an excellent rider, and this required constant training, which took place in the same buildings, where they later held performances. For this reason, gradually, each specially designated place for teaching horseback riding began to be called the playpen.
Equestrian Manege and its difference from the hippodrome
These two concepts are often confused with each other. It’s worth learning the difference: a hippodrome is a specialized open-air stadium with several racetracks for horse racing, around which there are places for spectators.
The equestrian arena is a rectangular indoor room with a central arena and places for the public and judges, where riders compete in different disciplines.
Why is the circus arena called the "arena"?
The circus is a favorite entertainment for many. Connoisseurs of this art know that the arena is called the arena. The etymology of this term is also rooted in the French manège, but here is a slightly different story.
The circus ring (photo below) began to bear this name thanks to horses too.
The fact is that the ancient Romans called the circus an oval-shaped stadium, where chariot races and races most often took place. Later, circus buildings began to be used as arenas for gladiatorial battles and massacres with Christians, but the primary meaning of the word in human minds continued to be associated with horses.
After the fall of the Roman Empire for many centuries, the word "circus" was not used at all, and then they began to call places for theatrical productions. However, in the XVIII century. a family of Astlean riders from the UK built a small circular arena in France, calling it a circus. There they began to give performances consisting of acrobatic exercises on horses. Later, their repertoire was replenished with tricks involving other animals, magic tricks and clowns. Gradually, the fashion for circuses spread throughout the world, and the arena itself, in memory of the tricks of the riders with whom it all began, was called the arena.
What are the types of sports arenas, and how do they differ from ordinary stadiums
Only one main detail distinguishes the stadium and the arena (what this structure has for each organization, we said earlier) - the roof.
The traditional stadium, where training and competitions are held in the spring and summer, does not have a full roof and is called open. While the indoor stadium (athletics arena) is designed for competitions in the cold season.
There is also a separate subspecies of the sports arena - fencing.
Having become acquainted with all the meanings of the term in question, you can find something in common in them. So, it turns out that the playpen is a fenced or covered room where horses, athletes, military or children train their skills and demonstrate them to everyone.