This word, quite common among the modern population, has several variants of meanings, in some cases similar in meaning, and sometimes only in sound. A brisk girl, fights without rules, political fights, a boyfriend - are all these words really connected by a common meaning? What is common between baptism of fire on the battlefield and a battle-woman who will “stop the galloping horse”?
Etymology of the word
The word “battle” came from the Russian “beat” by replacing the letter in the root: And by O. That is, a battle is when they beat, beat, stuff, that is, tap. To hit, in turn, is to push, pound, push back with effort. Accordingly, a battle, a battle is an action aimed at beating someone or something.
The meaning of the word
A battle interpreted by well-known explanatory dictionaries is a battle, a battle between two warring parties, hand-to-hand or using different types of weapons, on foot or on horses, ships, tanks or planes (sea battle, air combat).
Any organized meeting for victory or superiority in sports (martial arts, chess, cockerel and dog fights), a fight, a skirmish of boys due to insult or a battle of a naval squadron is also a battle where there is evidence of superiority. Verbal skirmishes can also be called this term. At the same time, the essence does not change, two people fight in a duel or tens of thousands - the battle will remain a battle.
Any kind of it can be in three stages:
- defensive, for the sake of protection;
- offensive - to conquer new territories or titles;
- counter when both warring parties go on the offensive.
From here we can deduce words and phrases that are close in meaning:
- Fighting spirit. The belligerent attitude to fight.
- Slaughter. Mass beating someone.
- Massacre. A global clash of enemies with heavy losses.
- Baptism of fire. Testing skills, first participation in the battle.
- Combat charge, combat formation - ready for battle, not training, but capable of striking.
- Striker. Part of the mechanism in a firearm. After bringing the hammer into action, a shot is fired.
- Fighting ring. The place where the championship fights take place.
Synonyms of the word "battle"
When identifying words that are similar in meaning, it is often easier to understand the word itself . What is a chime? After all, battles in the clockwork simply cannot be! This is one of the homonyms denoting strong, loud blows of one object against another (in this case, the hammers of a watch). The same interpretation refers to drumming - the sound effect of a musician-drummer announcing the beginning of an event or performing an intricate melody.
There is another synonym for the word “battle”, which sounds the same, but is used in a slightly different situation. So they call something broken or broken: broken glass, dishes, stones, even eggs - this is also a fight.
In the military dictionary, this word also means loopholes arranged in a row in a wall (on a fortress or tower). This made it possible to give simultaneous volleys of guns and hold a siege.
Is there a connection with Hebrew?
In Hebrew, the word “bo, fight” is often heard, which means “go,” and “boy-on” means come here. That is, if we draw a parallel from the call to move forward towards rapprochement and the battle between the rivals, then it is quite possible to decide that the battle is such a borrowed word denoting a call to attack or active action.
Also, having built a logical chain, we can assume that a brisk person is not a fighter, not craving for battle or victory, but just standing in front of everyone, a kind of pioneer, discoverer.
This version of the etymology of the word is not in demand, although it has a certain reason. Perhaps, in the confusion of languages, substitutions could occur, and the meaning was very similar: to beat - in battle - to go forward, on the offensive.
What is a “fight” from an English boy?
It is impossible not to mention another case of the use of the word, which would seem to be completely different from the others. The meaning of the word “battle” in translation from English means “boy, boy, young man”. It is very often used by young girls who are trying to try on the image of an Anglo-American woman and inserting foreign words into her speech, very often out of place and silly. Instead of just saying, “This is my boyfriend or friend,” they say, “This is my boyfriend.” The phrase means “boy friend”, that is, absolutely the same, but without the use of native speech. The use of alien words is a kind of denial of belonging to the homeland.
Also in the last century, they called a hotel employee, an errand boy, who performed small tasks, carried luggage and opened the elevator doors. Most often, this was a representative of the Negroid race, but sometimes the inhabitants of the Middle East served the battles (emphasis on the first syllable): Arabs or Turks, very rarely - the Chinese.
Another phrase
What is a baba? This phrase was formed by the merger of two cultures: Slavic and English. If you literally translate this phrase, you get a “boy-woman”, that is, a creature standing between the strong and the weaker sex. Boys are usually called women who, due to life circumstances or internal conflicts, have turned into a masculine person with pronounced masculine character traits.
Bold, sometimes boorish, completely denying modesty and shyness, such women are often single in life, or have weak-willed henpecked husbands. The word “woman” emphasizes that the woman is no longer soft and natural, but “stubborn”, that is, overgrown with prevailing stereotypes of thinking that left their mark on the physical appearance: angular, sharp movements, unremovable trousers and a strong heavy hand.
How to determine which word is meant?
The semantic definition of the word “battle” is recognized only from the context in which it is used. The specific content is revealed, from which it is decided in what sense the word is used. Or, as Kuzma Prutkov said: "See the root."