There are words that, although often used by people, are rarely anyone who truly understands their meaning. The noun con also refers to them. Its significance, meanwhile, is not one. There are several of them. Moreover, each of them has its own story. So what is con, where did this word come from, and what does it mean?
The main lexical meaning of the word "con"
According to one of the largest and most authoritative linguistic publications of the XIX century. - Dahl’s dictionary, initially the Slavs had this term not one, but several meanings at once.
- Frontier, end, death . From here came the root words - “to sink”, “to finish”, “end” - in the meaning of “lime”, “to perish”, “to end”.
- Queue, order . So phrases appeared: "from time immemorial," "from time immemorial."
Also, in ancient times, the people actively used words derived from the lexeme "con". This horse (hurt), konobotitsya (to make noise, to brawl), to guide (to start something) . Unfortunately, most of these verbs have long gone out of active use and are only history.
Most likely, the term "con" in its original meaning was inherited by the Russian language from the Pre-Slavic. This hypothesis is supported by the presence of cognates with the same meaning in Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish. So, in the modern Ukrainian language, one-root words are actively used: konati / konati (torment, die), vikonavets (one who does something or plays on the stage).
The word wykonawca ("performer") is preserved in Polish. And in Belarusian - “vykonvat” (“perform”).
Other values
However, over time, the original Slavic meaning of the word “con” was supplanted from the Russian language. Instead, the noun was adapted to the consonant English name game con. Thanks to this, the word began to be used in the meaning of "betting in gambling" or a synonym for "game party".
Although the aforementioned word was actively used among the people for a long time, it was increasingly used as the name of a special place in the game "grandmother" or "in the towns", where you had to get with a stick. This element of the game was probably named so because it was at the end.
By the way, the players who put something at stake in the game were formerly called "horsemen", but gradually this word was forgotten.
Proper name
If in Russian this noun refers to common nouns, then in other languages there are anthroponyms (names of people), toponyms (geographical names) and even theonyms (names of deities) Kon.
So, among the French, one of the largest Cato (administrative-territorial unit, consisting of several communes, which is part of the district) is called Caulnes, which is pronounced and translated into Russian as "Con". A similar name is given to one of the communes in France, located three hundred kilometers from Paris.
In world history, there are many prominent personalities bearing the name Kon. Among them, the 1998 Nobel laureate is the theoretical physicist Walter Cohn, and the first female architect Lotte Cohn in history.
Despite the fact that this surname is most often found among Germanic peoples, several domestic Konov celebrities are also known in history.
The most successful of them are the Soviet economist, scientist and teacher Alexander Kon; one of the founders of a sociological school in the USSR is Igor Kon, and the world-famous pianist of the late XIX - first half of the XX centuries. - Pavel Cohn
By the way, the ancient Incas worshiped the deity of wind and rain, which they called Kon.
Proverbs and sayings with the word "con"
This noun has been actively used for several centuries in Russian and its related Slavic languages. Proof of this are numerous Russian sayings with him.
- The cattle in our con went, case.
- From a horse, from time to time, from time to time, it was so usual.
- Do not believe the first horse.
- The head is at stake.
- He is not our horse (in the meaning of not our circle).
- Either in con or out .
What is the meaning of the Latin element KOH
The inorganic compound of potassium hydroxide, popularly referred to simply as "potassium alkali", has the chemical formula KOH.
If his fellow NaOH is most often used to make bar soap, then KOH creates liquid soaps, shower gels, shampoos and dishwashing liquid.
However, this is not the only industry using potassium alkali, since the value of the Latin element KOH for industry is very high. It is used as an electrolyte in alkaline batteries, as well as a detergent of high causticity. Using this chemical compound, paper, artificial rubber, fertilizers, and some medical products are made. Potassium alkali is even part of some products under the guise of a food supplement E525. KOH is also often used in industrial cooking for the gentle cleaning of fruits and vegetables.
However, it is important not to forget that KOH is the alkali. What is it, every student who knows chemistry knows. In a concentrated state, any alkali is very dangerous for human health. In particular, it is capable of destroying most organic compounds. So, getting on the skin or mucous membranes, KOH can cause deep chemical burns, so when working with it, you need to wear safety glasses, gloves and rubberized clothing.
Alien Message KOH
Those who believe in the existence of an alien mind and that higher beings from other galaxies observe the human race and plan to make contact in the near future, know one more meaning of “KOH”. What is this? Abbreviation for Coalition Observer Squad.
Many people know the widespread theory that in 1929 a radio message was transmitted to mankind for many hours, broadcast in 4 languages. It described the existence of the Galactic Coalition, which includes about 220,000 intelligent races. The detachment of observers of this Coalition has been observing the development of earthlings for many centuries, and now they are inviting them to join them. Firstly, because humanity has reached the required level, and also because in the near future a gravitational cyclone will approach the solar system, capable of destroying the Earth along with its inhabitants. At the same time, the Galactic Coalition has sufficient resources to help the human race survive in the impending disaster.
Today, many ufologists argue about whether this message is true or is it a skillful hoax.
The prefix "con-" and its meaning
In Russian, “con” can act not only as a separate word, but also as a prefix. The meaning of the prefix “con-” was borrowed from Latin along with the prefix con- itself. In Russian, it is related in meaning to the prefix "c- / co" and means "rapprochement", "connection".
With the help of this prefix, such well-known nouns were formed as the context (text, specifying the meaning of a word or statement), the confederation (association of states or organizations) and others.
A variation of the prefix "con-" in Russian
The prefix "com" also came from Latin. In its lexical meaning, it is a variation of the aforementioned “con-" (what it is and what role it performs is indicated in the previous paragraph).
With the help of “com-” such names arose: overalls, combine, set, composition and commune . An attentive person will notice that most of these words came to Russian from other languages. This is a true observation, since many of the above examples are of Latin origin and came to Russian already with the prefixes “con-” and “com-”.
Having understood the word “con” (what it is, what role it plays and where it came from), it is worth noting that in this case the old Russian name merged with consonant borrowed nouns from other languages. There is a sad tendency when the original meaning of this word was supplanted by a foreign one. Such cases gradually deprive any language of its individuality and uniqueness. It is hoped that in the future Russians will appreciate and cherish their native language more and will not allow the fate of the noun “con” to befall other original Russian words.