You can often hear the saying that in Russian speech there are much more swear words than in other languages. To refute or prove this statement is rather difficult. Nevertheless, many abusive terms are foreign borrowings. Take, for example, the noun Canalia. The meaning of the word remains unclear only because it got to us through several language “transshipment points”.
What connects a scammer and a scoundrel with a dog pack
According to philological sources, the meaning of the word "canalia", which came from the Polish language at the turn of the 17-18th centuries and sounded like kanalia , has something in common with German Kanaille and French canaille .
The translation is very diverse: you can call it a scoundrel, a rogue, a crook, a crook, a sly man and even a loafer. In Russian colloquial speech, there is a diminutive and affectionate version of the “cannula”, which is used in relation to a person who, although he showed it, did it without malicious intent.
“Mobile” or “rabble” - such is the meaning of the word “canalia” in many European languages. And it was formed from the Italian cane by joining the suffix, which gave the term the plural - “dog pack”. The same root is present in the word "vacation", which goes back to the name of the hot summer days in Ancient Greece during the period of maximum proximity to the Earth of Sirius - the brightest star from the constellation Canis Major.
Thus, the "pack of dogs" was transformed into a designation of the lower strata of society, some representatives of which, undoubtedly, could be immoral and unprincipled people, that is, real channels.
A cry of admiration and wonder
Our contemporaries have the meaning of the word “Canalia” associated with the brave D'Artagnan performed by the wonderful actor Mikhail Boyarsky. In the famous film, based on the works of Dumas, the phrase “Canalia! Thousand devils!" Moreover, this exclamation is pronounced in a variety of situations, expressing frustration, surprise, a call to action.
Indeed, even in the old days the meaning of the word “canalia” was not necessarily abusive, but could contain positive emotions with notes of admiration. For example, N.V. Gogol in one of his letters evaluates the performance of the theater prima: “She, Kanalya, sang like that! Like a canary! ” In this context, the word is synonymous with such definitions as “wizard”, “beast” or “devil”.