Hand washes: the meaning and origin of phraseology

Most often, with the sound of the proverb "hand washing the hand," people have associations with the thieves' world. This is not surprising, because in the people of this phrase there is a rhymed sequel - "The thief thief covers."

Origins

Of course, in the original this expression did not matter, because it came to our language from Latin. "Manus manum lavat" - this is how the proverb sounds in a dead solemn language. If you believe the story, then the very first thing said the phrase "hand wash the hand" and put it into use by Plato, although it is impossible to speak with confidence about the authorship of such an ancient statement. The meaning of phraseology has not changed at all, even with the passage of time, as has never been the case with any proverb from Latin. For example, "homo homini lupus est" (a human being is a wolf) is used today in the same sense in which it was used hundreds of years ago. Apparently, this confirms the profound wisdom of Latin winged expressions, which does not need additions or newfangled interpretations. But our people, of course, managed to misunderstand it and use it in their own way.

About mutual aid and friendship

If you try to make out the expression "hand is washing your hand" in terms of logic, then the analogy with life situations will be seen very clearly. To do this, you can also resort to the help of black humor. It is hard to imagine how a one-armed man washes his one hand before eating, but the owners of two hands cope with this task easily and simply. The same thing happens in life - alone people sometimes can not achieve the desired result, and the help that comes to the friend will always help him out. This shows that social contacts and friendly relations are always useful and effective, and it is much harder for the proud and independent people in this life to achieve their own. Show an example of how the hand wipes the hand, very simple. A graduate of a not too prestigious university will be long and tedious to try to find a good job in an unfamiliar city, and the search for it eventually can end in nothing. But the student, who managed to make useful acquaintances during his studies, will settle for a good place in two accounts.

On illegal activities "by concepts"

However, the phraseology "hand washing the hand" was not in vain received the continuation of "the thief thief is hiding," and this is due to our distorted realities. Now no one is ashamed to talk about what makes a living not quite honest way or prefers not to "give" money to their subordinates to buy a house in the capital or once again to relax abroad. Of course, this "thievish" continuation greatly distorts the original meaning of the proverb and vulgarizes it. People have established a persistent association with something dishonest, dirty and illegal, and yet the original meaning of this expression is very noble. It is hardly possible to imagine how ancient wise men with a thievish appearance are opened by shabby diplomats, exchanging money received for dubious activities and whispering to each other that the hand, however, is washing its hand. True, this does not mean that at that time there was no theft and the desire to appropriate someone else's - just then they did not talk about it with pride or complacency.

The importance of etymology

It's amazing how many analogues have acquired in modern times, the phraseology "hand washing the hand." The meaning of this proverb can also be revealed with the help of other phrases, as, for example, "a raven does not turn off a crow" or "one is not a warrior in the field". "Officially" the full proverb looks like this: "The hand is washing the hand, and both are white". One of the established meanings of this phraseology is precisely that people can cover each other in dishonest deeds. However, this value can be found in phraseological dictionaries of the Russian language, where for some reason the etymology of this phrase is not specified and its original meaning is not explained. It is best to remember this interpretation of this phraseology: it is best to perform a complex task together, then you can count on a positive result.