In modern Russian, a word with a negative meaning can also have a positive meaning. Take, for example, a "fool." Many are used to using this vernacular as an insult to someone / something, without even realizing that there is an opposite meaning to this word.
The etymology of the noun "fool"
There is a debate among scientists regarding the origin of the word "fool." Several versions were put forward, affecting Kievan Rus and ancient Latin. So, according to one version, the word "fool" comes from the Latin dura. Dura (fool) - these are human qualities such as "stern, firm, courageous."
According to another version, the word "fool" came from the ancient word "friend". In the old days there was an opinion that if you give a name to a child at birth, then the devil will come after him and take it into his possession. Worried parents began to give their children "numeric" names. That is, for example, they called the first child in the family Pervak, the second - Vtorok. Accordingly, the third and fourth - the Tretyak and the Fourth. And if the fifth child was born, then he was called Drugak, which means "another next child, the smallest child."
Over time, the word "friend" was simplified to "fool" and assigned it a common negative meaning.
It is noteworthy that the name from Russian folk tales, Ivan the Fool, bears the meaning "the youngest of all sons," and not "stupid, boob Ivan."
Dura: meaning of the word
The word "fool" refers to polysemantic words. In total, he has 3 values:
- A fool, a fool, is a woman, girl, girl doing stupid things that cause negative emotions in people around. It is noteworthy that for some time in the old days stupid men were also called fools.
- In metallurgy, metal (non-ferrous metals, cast iron), melted in the form of a bar, is called a fool. It has another name - ingot, which has nothing to do with the well-known artiodactyl, which has a five-pointed nose.
- In common parlance, a fool is a large, bulky, heavy object / object. In ancient Russia, this noun served as a synonym for the word "ram", which could break through the gate.
Phraseologisms and stable phrases with the word "fool"
The vernacular “fool” is the basis of many phraseological units and stable phrases. Below are some of these phraseological units and expressions:
- "A fool full of." This phraseology refers to a stupid woman who, as they say in common people, "has a head full of sawdust."
- "Lip no fool". Here, a fool is the same as stupidity.
In general, the expression has a positive meaning and is used when it comes to a person who knows a lot about choosing something valuable or useful.