Many stable expressions have an interesting story and interesting analogues, synonyms, which we are not aware of. An example of this is the phraseology "Alpha and Omega", which we will talk about in this article.
What is it - alpha and omega?
Let's first determine the main defendants in the expression. These are the names of the letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha is the first, omega is the last.
These words are the names of sounds. Alpha also sounds like an “a,” and omega sounds like an “o.”
Expression value
From the previous subtitle, it is not difficult to guess for yourself the meaning of phraseologism. "Alpha and omega", "From alpha to omega" are interpreted as follows:
- The beginning and end (from beginning to end) of something.
- Something completely, entirely, in all coverage.
- The most important thing is the essence of any phenomenon, process.
Origin of phrase
Let's see where the origins of the phraseology “Alpha and Omega” are. Researchers are inclined to assume that in common usage this expression came from the Bible. “I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end ...” Thus Jesus Christ speaks of himself (Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist, 1: 8).
It is worth noting that in the original source a slightly different expression was put into the phrase than today. Surely, when he said these words about himself, Jesus had in mind that he was the Universe, the whole world, all things. In this aspect, the phrase is already acquiring a certain philosophical connotation that elevates it above modern expression.
In the Old Slavonic spoken language, the expression came from the ancient Greek (το 'Αλφα και το Ω).
Similar expressions
“From alpha to omega” is in some ways an international expression. Its analogues are in many languages. For example, in Russian it can easily be replaced with phrases like: “lay me everything from A to Z”, “we must go this route from A to Z”, “she told me the whole play, from A to Z”. Thus, we replace "completely", "from beginning to end."
Our ancestors said a similar phrase - "from the basics to the Izhitsa." As you probably guessed, az is the first symbol of the Old Slavic alphabet, and Izhitsa is the last.
Synonyms
This phraseologism can be replaced to some extent with one word, a short stable expression. For instance:
- core;
- center;
- foundation;
- base;
- support;
- kernel;
- three whales;
- Foundation stone;
- backbone;
- foundation basis;
- primary element and so on.
For example: “he knew this theorem from alpha to omega” - “he knew the whole essence of this theorem”, “this plant is the alpha and omega of our land” - “this plant is the core of the production of our land” and so on.
Today, the phrase is uncommon, gradually moving away from everyday conversations. Unfortunately, one can even predict that the expression "From alpha to omega" will soon become obsolete, archaic, and for the most part bookish.