The article talks about favoritism - what is it? Favorites - everyone knows the word. It explains its origin, gives its synonyms and examples of use.
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All at least once, but heard this word, and most often it is associated either with the era of court intrigues, or with sports. In fact, it can be used in different situations, not limited to the listed examples. We will analyze its origin, translation, synonyms and the most common circumstances of use. So what are the favorites?
Origin
Like a very large number of words, it came to us from other languages and contains both Italian and Latin roots. In Italian, it sounds like favorito, and in Latin - favor. The translation is the same - "favor." Simply put, a favorite is a person who enjoys someone's patronage, favor or popularity in the framework of some kind of competition or a single society. So what are favorites in simpler terms?
Palace intrigues
According to the encyclopedia, such a thing as favoritism is a phenomenon that existed earlier at monarch's palaces, in which an individual person could enjoy the favor of the monarch, he could exalt it. Or it could be a whole group of people, and not just one person.
An official or unofficial transfer of certain rights and obligations of a ruler and their delegation are very characteristic of such a phenomenon. History also knows of cases where the favorites used absolutely all the powers of the monarch, and in circumvention of the established rules, laws or traditions. So now we know what the favorites are.
Causes
But what are the reasons for this phenomenon? Why does the monarch not rule himself, but transfers part of the duties to another person?
It is not only a matter of personal affection and disposition. Favorite does not have to be alone, because, in fact, favoritism helps to concentrate power among the closest friends and courtiers in whom the ruler is confident.
Probably the most striking example of this phenomenon can be considered the story of Catherine the Second and her 11 favorites, among which the most “most important” and famous was Count Orlov. It is estimated that only the value of official gifts to this group of persons amounted to 92 million rubles! This is a fabulous amount, which is several times higher than the annual budget of the country of that era. Not to mention gifts such as titles, estates and serfs.
Synonym for the word "favorite"
The synonyms of this word are as follows:
- Favorite.
- Minion.
- Idol.
- Beloved.
- The subject of love.
- Protege.
However, the opinion that the favorites must have been intimate with the rulers is erroneous. Yes, there have been such cases, but they are not necessary at all. By and large, such gossip is spread by the authors of pseudo-historical books and other works.
Sport
In sports you can also hear this word. It applies to those competitors who have the most potential chances to win. Also, this can be called not only athletes, people, but also animals. For example, horses at the races.
So we sorted out the meaning of the word "favorite", its translation, the most common cases of use.