"Physionomy" - this noun came into the Russian language just a few centuries ago. However, it was never particularly popular with the common people due to the fact that it has more convenient analogues in pronunciation. What are they, and what does the word physiognomy mean? Where did it come from in modern languages? Let's find the answers to all these questions.
The meaning of the word "physiognomy"
This feminine noun is used when the person’s face is described. Moreover, the word in question is not very common in colloquial speech, although from the beginning of the 20th century. became more actively used in it. For example: "The physiognomy of this gloomy old man has been etched into her memory for life."
The sphere of use of this noun in the direct sense is most often fiction or scientific literature. For example: "Considering the physiognomy of subject A, one can notice in him particularly prominent eyebrow arches."
This is the main value. But besides this, this word is often used when someone’s facial expression is described: “At the sight of everything that happened, he had such a surprised physiognomy that it was simply impossible to resist laughing, looking at her.”
There are frequent cases when this term is used in a figurative meaning. As a rule, this is done when describing someone’s appearance or individual traits (including character). Moreover, this can be not only a person, but also a city, a country, as well as some abstract concept. For example: “The physiognomy of the modern economy is just as disgusting and inhuman as in all past centuries.”
Origin of the term
“Physionomy” is a word that has come to modern European languages ​​from Greek through Latin.
It is formed from two terms of the Greek language: physis and gnomon, which literally can be translated as "one who knows nature."
Among the Romans, this word was written as physiognomia and, having undergone only minor changes, it is practically the same in many modern languages.
In Russian, Ukrainian (fizŃ–onomŃ–ya) and Polish (fizjonomia), this term came from French, which is written as physionomie. The fact that it was French that gave our language this noun is evidenced by the fact that in German the physiognomy of a person is described by the word Visage, and in the English version (physiognomy) the letter g is preserved. Moreover, in French, it was lost, which influenced the Russian writing of the token.
Physionomy and physiognomy
Especially actively used in the speech of educated people, this word began in the XVIII century. And initially it was used not to describe the front of the head, but as the name of ancient science. She specialized in “reading” the character of a particular person using his facial features. By the way, this science was still popular among the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Over time, this discipline began to be called "physiognomy", and today it exists under the same name. And the word “physiognomy” remaining after all linguistic manipulations is already the name of the person or his expression.
It is worth noting that today the science of physiognomy continues to be as popular as in antiquity. However, most of her theories still have not found actual evidence in practice. Therefore, it is considered a more theoretical discipline than practical, and is studied as a section of general psychology.
It is worth noting that some of the discoveries of physiognomy and its methods for studying the human face were subsequently taken into account by forensics, medicine, and the visual arts.
What synonyms can be chosen for this term
Having understood the origin and semantics of the noun “physiognomy”, it will be much easier to find synonyms for it.
As is clear from the definition, the word "face" is an absolute analogue of this noun. In each of the above examples of the use of this word, it can be painlessly used by this synonym. For example: "The face of this gloomy old man has been etched into her memory for life."
Also in the meaning of "physiognomy" are used and single-root for "Faces" nouns "face", "appearance". For example: "The face of the modern economy is still disgusting and inhumane, as in all past centuries."
In addition, it is permissible to use the obsolete name “physics” as a synonym.
Replace Token “Physiognomy” can be words that have a grosser character: “erysipelas”, “mine”, “mug”, “muzzle” or “ryakh”. For example, a famous phrase from a serial film "Meeting place can not be Changed": “Well, you have a mug, Sharapov” may sound like this: “Well, you have a physiognomy, Sharapov,” without losing its meaning.
In the meaning of “facial expression” the word “physiognomy” can be replaced by the lexical unit “grimace”.
Antonyms for the word "physiognomy"
This word has many synonyms, but with the selection of antonyms, everything is much more complicated.
In principle, the concept under consideration (if we look for analogues in the direct sense) can only be replaced with the word "nape". For example: “At first, the doctor studied the physiognomy of the boy, then made him turn and began to examine his neck.”
Grammar and morphemic
Since the noun we are considering is of foreign origin, it is impossible to explain its spelling with the help of some spelling rules of the Russian language. Thus, “physiognomy” refers to vocabulary words, the spelling of which you just need to memorize.
Parsing this noun into its components, you can find several interesting points.
Firstly, the root of the word "physiognomy" is not one - there are two of them at once. These are “physi” and “nom”, connected with the “o” interfix. Secondly, it is noteworthy that a similar structure has been preserved in the word in question since its formation in the Greek language.
In addition to the two roots and the interfix, the parsed word has the suffix “i” and the ending “a”.
Term "Physiognomy" today is not very common in colloquial speech. The explanation is quite simple. Firstly, in our language there are also words more familiar to the Russian citizen’s ear that are quite capable of replacing a borrowed lexeme, and secondly, it is rarely used due to the peculiarities of writing and structure. Moreover, every self-respecting educated person, even if he does not use this noun in speech, must still remember what it means and how it is spelled.