The meaning of the new word: the equilibri ... is ...

What does the word "equilibrium" mean? The first association is the famous film of the same name about utopia, an ideal world of the future. And the second ... Here we will not run ahead, but consider everything in order.

The words

Everything flows, everything changes. Do not stay away and language. Some words disappear without a trace, others invariably appear. The latter, about new words, will be discussed in this article, namely, about the borrowed lexical unit "equilibrium". Its meaning can be found in the "Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language" under the editorship of A.N. Chudinov. However, in the dictionary article the word has a somewhat different form - "equilibre" - and is considered as obsolete, almost out of use. It turns out that in the lexical composition of the Russian language there are two lexemes, similar in sound and identical in meaning. One went into the category of "book", and the other - already in use, even if not in daily. Therefore it is extremely necessary to understand what it is - the "equilibrium" - and what it is "eaten".

"Equilibrium": the meaning of the word

As mentioned above, in Russian there is a similar, single-root word "equilibre" or "equilibre", which, according to many directories, is interpreted as "equilibrium". It came from the French language - équilbre.

"Equilibrium" is the equilibrium, and he came to Russian from the language of the Misty Albion. But he is not native English either. Then where does the word come from? His ancestress is considered to be Latin. This is the so-called indirect borrowing, that is, the transition of a word from one language to another with the help of an intermediary language. The opposite process is "direct borrowing". So, in a literal translation from the Latin aequus - it is "equal", and libra - "scales". In other words, the "equilibrium" is a balance, equilibrium, balance, like "balance".

Words-nomads

Among all the foregoing, the concept of "borrowing" was repeated more than once. In this article, it can be called a key one. Why? First, the equilibria is a borrowed lexeme. And, secondly, the question is still controversial, and whether it is necessary to use a foreign word, if in its native language there is its long-used analogue, does this filthy language clog up the language?

On this account, there are two opposing camps. Some are confident, especially in the light of recent political events, that such words are only a fashion statement, and it is detrimental to the language. There are fears, and they are not groundless, that sooner or later foreign words will fill our speech and will gradually erase people's native Russian words from people's memory. And there is no language - no people.

For example, as mentioned above, the equilibrium is an equilibrium, that is, not only its analogue is observed in our native language, but also many synonyms: balance, balance, harmony. Why then destroy our identity?

Another opinion

Whatever the nation, it can not live and develop in complete isolation from others. To a greater or lesser degree, but it is in contact with other peoples. For example, trade, industrial-economic, cultural, and political ties are developing. And as a result - mutual influence of peoples on each other. Language is a direct reflection of such relationships, because it is the main means of communication. Therefore, one can not say that the lexicon of Russian or any other language has not passed and does not continue to pass its hard way of development. If we take each of our words and look at it closely, it turns out that much is not old by Russians, but appeared as a result of borrowing. We just do not already know about it. We remember only what happened relatively recently, and what happened in ancient times has already become native.

Thus, foreign words are not only a minus, but also a fat plus, since with the preservation of the basic vocabulary and the grammatical system enrich the language, eliminate stagnation and fill invisible to the eye of emptiness - the missing semantic nuances. For example, we already know that the "equilibri" is an equilibrium, but in such circulations as "marital equilibrium" or "equilibria of a drop of water", it sounds appropriate and has a different, more saturated sound. Is not it so?

Total

In favor of the latter opinion, which supports the influence of other "overseas" languages in Russian, one more fact speaks. Let's consider it on an example of the analyzed word.

Lexem "equilibre" or "equilibre" in the sense of "balance" came into Russian long ago and at least in the 18-19 century had a wide use. For example, we read letters A.O. Rosset to A.O. Smirnova, the maid of honor of the Russian Imperial Court: "Dura Europe screams about the outfit and fears Russia's influence! What kind of ekulibre, when 40 years ago, England incited the whole of Europe against France, as now armed the whole of Europe against Russia. " Then, over time, fashion for everything French comes to naught, and this lexeme becomes obsolete and comes out of daily use, like many other French words. However, nature does not tolerate emptiness, as, indeed, the "eternal engine" - language, and in place of "ekulibra" comes "equilibrium". In other words, borrowing is a natural process. From the side for the common man it looks like a tribute to fashion, but in fact it is an act of creativity, active and always striving for a balance - balance, harmony, with an endless acquisition of the right and cutting off everything that is already dead.