“What a passage, however!” - this expression is now rarely used, it can often be found in sentimental novels that describe the "past life". The meaning is clear what it means an extreme degree of surprise or surprise. On the other hand, in many cities there are commercial buildings with this name, in which if there is something unusual, it is only an architectural feature. Entering them on one street, you can go to another. And the word "passage" is used in reviews of literary works. The passage of a horse high trot during equestrian competitions is again called the same. A virtuoso part performed by a musician is again a passage. What a universal word! So what does it mean?
Transitions
The original meaning of the word "passage" comes from the French word "transition". In the Russian language, this concept also has several meanings, from the most direct to a variety of figurative ones. The place where pedestrians cross the roadway or change the calendar, change the clock from winter to summer, overcome the Alpine mountains with the army of A.V. Suvorov, start decisive offensive operations, re-equip the enterprise with the latest equipment and change the assortment of its products, all this, how usually called a transition. But the passage is something completely different. This word has several meanings, some of which are given below.
Shopping Passages
In many large and not so big cities there is a shopping center "Passage", or even not one. They began to build such houses in Russia in the 19th century, and some of them still serve today. The classics of the style became the famous GUM, previously called the Upper Trading Rows. Gostiny Dvory of many Russian cities can also be attributed to passages, although they were never called.
To attract buyers, sellers create conditions for them to purchase a variety of things, placing the shops in a line, usually consisting of two rows with entrances and exits on different streets. An example is the Passages in St. Petersburg and Odessa, cities that were originally built according to the European principle and adopted many features of foreign capitals. As of 1917, there were a dozen shopping centers with the same name in South Palmyra, of which only one of them, on Deribasovskaya, at the Preobrazhenskaya corner, erected in 1899, continues to delight Odessa residents and visitors. He is very beautiful, bright and comfortable.
The “Fruit Passage” of Privoz as a building has been preserved, but is not used for its intended purpose. There are now administrative premises and warehouses, only on one side are shops, and even they sell mostly household goods.
According to the Odessa "aisles" you can judge about the other "Passages" in all cities and towns, from Brest to Vladivostok.
Passages in art
But the passage is not only about shopping malls in places that shopkeepers call today a “walker”. In art, a sharp or smooth change of the main theme to a secondary branch (plot, color or melodic) is indicated by the same word. An unexpected passage in the text enlivens him and serves to make the reader more interested and attract his attention. Typically, the pace and rhythm of speech in these places changes, passions heat up, characters utter temperamental monologues, in general, the information richness of this fragment reaches a fever, sometimes turning into a climax.
The same thing happens in music. The pace is increasing, sounds are rapidly alternating, the rhythm is changing. Not every musician can perfectly perform a passage; this often requires a masterly mastery of the instrument playing technique.
In painting, this is called, although not often, the coloristic transitions of shades characteristic of landscapes, especially when the artist portrays the sky and the sea.
Horse passage
Most closely reflects the meaning of the word "passage", oddly enough, its interpretation as a designation of the type of gait. The sight of a running horse, almost soaring in the air, fascinates everyone who happened to watch this sight on the run or in equestrian competitions.
The peculiarity of the gait is that the hooves move diagonally: the front rear and the right front, and immediately vice versa. Moreover, if the passage is fast, but the moments when the horse’s legs touch the ground alternate with a brief “hang” when the rider flies. The speed of such a run is almost the same as that of a car - 55 km / h. True, even a good horse can develop it for long, only four hundred meters. Passage, or “high lynx,” is a very beautiful sight to watch.
Other uses of the word "passage"
About a man famous for the gift of eloquence, and sometimes just an idle talker, it is often said that he “gives passages”, comparing the agility of his language with the virtuosity of a vocalist. Well, the comparison is quite reasonable, for some speakers the speech organ is really well developed.
The failure that occurred during the execution of the seemingly correct plan is referred to as a “passage”. In this case, this word is a full-fledged synonym for the famous slang "span".
The root of the word "passenger" is the same French word "passage".