Old Russian words are found quite often in modern language, but sometimes they seem strange and incomprehensible to us. Fragments of ancient dialects have spread throughout the territory of distant Kievan Rus; they can mean the same words and concepts as thousands of years ago, they can slightly change their meaning, or they can be revived, taking on new, modern interpretations.
Old Russian or Old Slavic?
You can start your journey into the ancient world with words that are still found in modern speech. Mother, homeland, uncle, earth, wolf, work, regiment, forest, oak - Old Russian words. But with the same success they can be called both ancient Belarusian and ancient Ukrainian. They are still found in these languages in almost the same form as thousands of years ago. Old Russian words and their meanings can be found in many monuments of Slavic literature. For example, the textbook “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is a real treasury for collectors of various ancient words.
Probably, it is necessary to separate Russian and common Slavic words, but this is not possible in this article. We can only observe the development of the ancient word - from its original meaning to its modern one. And an excellent visual aid for studying such development can be the ancient Russian word “fishing”.
History of the word
The “Initial Chronicle” tells how in 1071 “animal hunts took place” on the lands of the city of Vyshgorod. This word was also known in the time of Monomakh. In his “Instructions,” Prince Vladimir says that he himself “kept a hunting detachment,” that is, he kept stables, packs of dogs, tame falcons and hawks in order. The term “fishing” was already a commonly used word back then and meant hunting, capturing an animal.
Later, already in the 13th-14th centuries, the word “fishing” began to appear in testamentary documents. The legal lists mention “fishing” and “beaver fishing”. Here the word “fishing” is used as a reserve, a reserve - privately owned land with great opportunities for hunting and fishing. But in both the old and the new meaning, “fishing” means hunting by capturing an animal or fish. remained the same.
Modern "fishing"
In modern speech the word “fishing” is also often found. Only it, like many other Old Russian words, is used in a truncated, different meaning - one can say “herring fishing” or “autumn cod fishing.” But we will never say “wolf fishing” or “beaver fishing”. For this purpose, there is a convenient and understandable word “hunting”. But as part of complex words, “fishing” is found everywhere.
Children and grandchildren
Let's remember the words “mousetrap”, “trapper”, “trap” and others. After all, all these are the children and grandchildren of the ancient word “fishing”. Some “children” of “lova” have not survived time and are now found only in ancient chronicles. For example, the word “lovitva” arose much later than “lova”, but never took root in the Russian language. Lovitva was known in the 15th-17th centuries and was widely used to mean “hunting”. But already in the time of Pushkin this concept was not used.
For the great poet’s contemporaries, “lovy” and “lovitvy” are outdated, lifeless words. Old Russian "lovitva" do not exist in modern speech, but when you see them in an old book, you can understand the meaning of this word without much difficulty.
“Nadolba” and “goalkeeper”
Old Russian words with translation can be found in many explanatory dictionaries. But what if an ancient word is used in a new, modern meaning? Old Russian words and their meanings apparently change over time. A good example would be the fairly well-known ancient Russian literary words “nadolba” and “goalkeeper.”
The word “nadolba” was known in all-Russian military terminology many thousands of years ago. This was the name given to knocked together thick branches and logs - an impassable obstacle for infantry and cavalry in ancient, distant times. The advent of guns and cannons made both the structure and the words themselves unnecessary. invented new effective methods for defense and attack, and the “gouges” had to be scrapped.
A thousand years later, at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the gouges returned from the past. Now they were built from reinforcement blocks, logs, and construction waste. Such designs were designed to stop the advance of fascist tanks and disrupt the attack of enemy troops. After the war, the stones were dismantled, but the word remained. Now it is found in many literary works of war, in eyewitness accounts, in stories and novels about the war.
The word “goalkeeper” has also returned to modern language. True, his story is not nearly as heroic as that of the previous word. Goalkeepers used to be the name of modest monks-gatekeepers, who opened the gates of monasteries and temples in the morning and closed them at sunset, fearing dashing people. Goalkeepers have practically disappeared from our lives, but up to a certain point. The development of collective sports and the success of our teams in hockey and football competitions have led to the emergence of modern “goalkeepers” - athletes who protect the gates of their own team from attacks from opponents. Moreover, the word not only spread widely, but also put the foreign “goalkeeper” on both shoulder blades.
Vintage "airplane"
Do you think that in the time of Peter the Great the word “airplane” was known? And not as a fabulous flying object (magic carpet), but as a very real engineering structure? It turns out that in those days airplanes were self-propelled ferries that made it possible to transport large convoys with weapons and food to the other side of the river. Later, the word became a highly specialized jargon and began to be used in weaving.
A similar story happened with the word “bicycle”. It turns out that it was widely used in medieval Rus' - in Muscovy. That's what fast runners were called back then. The surname Velosipedov probably translates as "Fast-footed" rather than "belonging to a bicycle." Therefore, both bicycle and airplane can also with good reason be attributed to ancient, ancient Russian words. Unlike fishing, these terms have survived several of their meanings and have become relevant in modern speech, although they have completely changed their interpretations.
Shards of the past
Strangely enough, many modern dialects have become remarkable monuments of ancient word usage. Old Russian words, examples of which can no longer be found in their initial form, feel great in a fixed, unchangeable form. For example, everyone knows such words as “evil”, “luck”. The derivatives of these concepts - “out of spite”, “at random” - are also not difficult to understand. They have long become understandable and simple parts of speech.
There are other words composed according to a similar principle. For example, “in a hurry.” “obliquely”, “sideways”. But “slant”, “bekren” or “hurry” are Old Russian, their initial meanings are a headache for lexicographers and linguists.
Results
As you can see, Old Russian words and their meanings leave a wide field for research. Many of them were understood. And now, when we encounter the words “veveliai”, “vedenci” or “lada” in ancient books, we can safely look for their meanings in dictionaries. But many of them are still waiting for their researchers. Only painstaking work with ancient words will help explain their meanings and enrich the modern Russian language.
Obsolete words, like dialect ones, can be divided into two different groups: archaisms and historicisms.
Archaisms are words that, due to the emergence of new words, have fallen out of use. But their synonyms exist in modern Russian.
Eg:
The right hand is the right hand, the cheeks are the cheeks, the ribs are the shoulders, the loins are the lower back, and so on.
But it is worth noting that archaisms may still differ from modern synonymous words. These differences can be in the morphemic composition (fisherman - fisherman, friendship - friendship), in their lexical meaning (belly - life, guest - merchant), in grammatical design (at the ball - at the ball, perform - perform) and phonetic features ( mirror - mirror, gishpansky - Spanish). Many words are completely outdated, but they still have modern synonyms. For example: destruction - death or harm, hope - hope and firmly believe, so that - so that. And in order to avoid possible mistakes in the interpretation of these words, when working with works of art, it is strongly recommended to use a dictionary of outdated words and dialect phrases, or an explanatory dictionary.
Historicisms are words that denote phenomena or objects that have completely disappeared or ceased to exist as a result of the further development of society.
Many words that denoted various household items of our ancestors, phenomena and things that were in one way or another connected with the economy of the past, the old culture, and the socio-political system that once existed became historicisms. Many historicisms are found among words that are one way or another connected with military topics.
Eg:
Most of the outdated words refer to items of clothing and household items: prosak, svetets, endova, camisole, armyak.
Also, historicisms include words that denote titles, professions, positions, classes that once existed in Rus': tsar, lackey, boyar, steward, stableman, barge hauler, tinker, and so on. Types of production activities such as horse-drawn horses and manufacturing. Phenomena of patriarchal life: procurement, rent, corvee and others. Disappeared technologies such as mead making and tinning.
Words that arose during the Soviet era also became historicisms. These include words such as: food detachment, NEP, Makhnovets, educational program, Budenovets and many others.
Sometimes it can be very difficult to distinguish between archaisms and historicisms. This is due both to the revival of the cultural traditions of Rus', and to the frequent use of these words in proverbs and sayings, as well as other works of folk art. Such words include words denoting measures of length or measurements of weight, naming Christian and religious holidays, and so on and so forth.
Abbey - guardhouse
Perhaps - either - perhaps, maybe
That's right - so
Azovka - a mythical creature
Aksamit - velvet
Altyn - three kopecks
Asps - poisonous snakes
Babayka - a large oar attached to a boat
Beats - talks, tells
Kayak - a river boat with one large sail
Balagta - swamp
Talk - talk
Canopy - decorated canopy on posts
Balodka - one-handed hammer
Basa - beauty, decoration, panache
Batog - stick
Bergamots - a variety of pears
Pregnancy is an armful
Barefoot shoes - house shoes
Boyars - rich and noble people
Scolding - battle
Brothers - brothers
Armor - metal clothing that protects a warrior from blows
Bulat - steel weapon
Burochki - a tall basket with a lid made of birch bark
Bureau - desk with a drawer for storing papers
To go on patrol - to guard, to guard
In the bag - in pursuit
Vacant time - holidays
Vacation - vacation
To know - to know
Venuti - to blow, to blow
Vershok - an old measure of length, equal to 4.4 centimeters
Of course - of course, it goes without saying
Rag - rag
Knight - brave warrior, hero
Meet - meet
Eversion - the rhizome of a large tree turned out of the ground
endure - withstand, endure, endure
Galushka - dumpling cooked in water or borscht
Galleta - a small merchant ship
To guess - to guess
The voice of obedience is the answering voice
Gorazd - knows how
A slide - a pyramid-shaped shelf for expensive dishes
Upper room - room
Rowing - narrow dam on the river
Hay girl - maid
Ten - 24 sheets
To marvel - to surprise, to astonish
Food - dishes, food
Zhaleika - a pipe made of willow bark
Jug - jug with lid
Burmitsky (Burmite) pearls - large and round pearls
Millstones - a small hand grinder
Burner - a place in the pre-furnace where the heat is raked
Firebox - a place in front of the firebox where the heat is raked
Start a fast - start fasting
Ahead of time - in advance
Sing Lazarus - flatteringly beg
Sinisters - small fantastic creatures
Imperial - gold coin
Inda - even, so
Treasury - money, wealth, property
Kamka - silk colored fabric with patterns
Karmazin - dark red cloth
Casing - leather outerwear
Kokurochka - a sweet flatbread
Kolymaga - a carriage in which noble people traveled
Box - basket, basket
Oblique fathom is an ancient Russian measure of length, the distance from the toes to the end of the fingers of an outstretched hand diagonally is equal to 216 cm
Krinitsa - well, spring
Krosna - home weaving loom
Tow - a bunch of flax or wool
Body - wicker basket
Plate - iron or steel armor worn by warriors
Bast - the bark of a young linden, willow, elm, bast shoes, baskets, baskets are woven from it
To shirk - to shirk, to shirk
Lytka - part of the leg below the knee
Damask sword - a sword made of especially strong steel
It’s not the first time for me - it’s not the first time for me
Hoe - hand-held agricultural tool
Ant - overgrown with grass (ant)
The largest is the eldest
Whip - belt whip
Namale - soap
It’s unsalt to slurp - to be deceived in your expectations
Nikoli - never
Flint - a stone or piece of steel for cutting fire from flint
Odnova - once, once
Come to your senses - come to your senses
Yell - plow
Chill - freeze
Boarding school - a school with a dormitory for students
To blame - to reproach, to reproach
Finger - finger
Povoy - reception of a newborn
Polati - wide sleeping bunks in a hut under the ceiling between the stove and the opposite wall
Pomelo - a broom wrapped in a rag at the end, used for sweeping in the stove
Tried it - tried it on
Kidnapper - thief
Start - start
Clearing - a clearing or lawn in a forest not overgrown with trees
Jumpy - fast
Pryazhon - fried (fry in oil)
The span is an ancient measure, the distance between the thumb and index finger of the hand.
Rat - army
Rosstan - the crossroads of two roads
Dress up - persuade
Sazhen is an ancient Russian measure of length, the distance of the arm span from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other
Salop - ancient women's outer dress
Sam-ten - ten times more
Sam-five - five times more
Sam-Thursday - four times more
Seredovich is a middle-aged man
Swear tablecloth - tablecloth woven with patterns
Conscience won't bother you - conscience won't bother you
The shrike, the shrike, is a bird from the passerine order.
Studenets - a well with icy water
Susek - a chest in which flour or grain is stored
A talisman is an object that, as superstitious people thought, brings happiness and protects from troubles
Tereben tavern - a regular visitor to the tavern, a regular
Terem - tall houses with a turret at the top
Toilet - toilet, mirror
Clean up - dress up
Stomata - external hole in a Russian stove
Postilion - coachman sitting on the front horse when pulling in a train
Cotton - tow, flax tow
Mansions - big house
To keep more than the apple of one's eye - to keep something more than one's eyes
Khustochka - handkerchief
A flail is a primitive tool for threshing grain, consisting of two connected sticks: a long handle and a shorter working part that strikes the grains.
Servant - servant in the house
Cherevichki - women's shoes with heels and a pointed toe
Chugunka is an obsolete name for the railway
Shandal - candlestick
Fly - a short towel or scarf
Train - elongated hem of a woman's dress
Lye - solution of wood ash
Efa - a small poisonous snake
Yushka - ear
Dishes - food, dishes
In the dictionary of obsolete words we have included terms that are currently practically not used or are used very rarely. Outdated words and expressions are words that it is important to familiarize your child with before reading a fairy tale or explain their meaning while reading, so that the meaning of the work is perceived exactly as the authors would like. Some obsolete words and their meaning will be especially useful for the general development of the child, for example, measures of length: vershok, fathom and others.
Outdated words in the Russian language are for the most part those words that have gone out of use in the modern world, but which our old grandparents can still very often use in communication. We can convey to children the kindness of Little Red Riding Hood, the tenderness of Thumbelina, the hard work of Cinderella and many other best character traits of the characters in the language of their great-grandparents and at the same time instill in children respect and interest in our history.
If this dictionary of outdated words of the Russian language does not contain the word you were looking for or you were not able to fully understand the meaning of existing words, write to us through the feedback form, they will definitely answer you.
Abvakhta - guardhouse Perhaps - either - perhaps, maybe Azhno - so Azovka - mythical creature Aksamit - velvet Altyn - three kopecks Asps - poisonous snakes
Babayka - a large oar attached to a boat Baet - speaks, tells Baidak - a river boat with one large sail Balagta - swamp Balakat - speak Canopy - a decorated canopy on posts Balodka - a one-handed hammer Basa - beauty, decoration, panache Batog - stick Bergamots - variety pears Pregnancy - an armful of Bosoviki - slippers Boyars - rich and noble people War - battle Brotherhood - brotherhood Armor - metal clothing that protects a warrior from blows Damask steel - weapons made of steel Burochki - a type of warm boots for cold climates, often felt boots Bureau - table with paper storage box
To go on patrol - to guard, to guard In a bag - to chase Vacation time - vacation Vacation - vacation To know - to know Venuti - to wind, to blow Vershok - an old measure of length, equal to 4.4 centimeters Vestimo - of course, it goes without saying Vetoshka - a rag Knight - a brave warrior , bogatyr Vovan is a liquid fat extracted from the fat of marine mammals. Used for lighting in lamps and street lamps Meet - meet Eversion - the rhizome of a large tree turned out of the ground Endure - withstand, endure, endure
Galushka - dumpling cooked in water or borscht Galyota - a small merchant ship Ganat - guessing Voice of obedience - an answering voice Gorazd - knows how Gorka - a pyramid-shaped shelf for expensive dishes Upper room - room Rowing - a narrow dam on the river
Hay girl - maid Ten - 24 sheets Marvel - surprise, amaze
Food - food, food If - if
Zhaleika - a pipe made of willow bark Zhban - a jug with a lid Burmitsky (Burmite) pearls - large and round pearls Zhernovtsy - a small hand-made chalk
Zagnetka - a place in the fore-furnace where the heat is raked Zagnetka - a place in front of the firebox where the heat is raked Get started - start fasting Ahead of time - sing Lazarus in advance - flatteringly beg Sinisters - small fantastic creatures
Imperial - Indus gold coin - even, so
Treasury - money, wealth, property Kamka - silk colored fabric with patterns Karmazin - dark red cloth Kniksen - bow with a squat as a sign of greeting or gratitude from females Casing - outerwear made of leather Kokurochka - butter flatbread Kolymaga - carriage, in which noble people traveled Korob - a basket, a basket Oblique fathom - an ancient Russian measure of length, the distance from the toes to the end of the fingers of an outstretched hand diagonally is 216 cm Krinitsa - a well, a spring Krosna - a home loom Kudel - a bunch of flax or wool Body - wicker basket
Plate - iron or steel armor worn by warriors Lyko - the bark of a young linden, willow, elm, bast shoes, baskets, baskets are woven from it Lytka - shirk, shirk Lytka - part of the leg below the knee
Damask sword - a sword made of especially strong steel It’s not my first time - it’s not my first time Hoe - a hand-held agricultural tool Ant - overgrown with grass (ant)
Biggest - senior Whip - belt whip Namale - soap Unsalted to sip - be deceived in your expectations Nikoli - never
Flint - a stone or piece of steel for cutting fire from flint Once - once, once Come to your senses - come to your senses Scream - plow Chill - freeze
Boarding house - a school with a dormitory for students Blame - reproach, reproach Finger - finger New - welcoming a newborn Polati - wide sleeping bunks in a hut under the ceiling between the stove and the opposite wall Pomelo - a broom wrapped in a rag at the end, used for sweeping ash in the stove Tried - tried on Kidnapper - thief Start - start Clearing - a clearing or lawn in the forest not overgrown with trees Jumpy - fast Pryazhon - fried (fry in oil) Span - an ancient measure, the distance between the thumb and index finger of the hand
Army - army Rosstan - the crossroads of two roads To dress up - to persuade
Sazhen - an ancient Russian measure of length, the distance of the arm span from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other Salop - an ancient outer women's dress Sam-ten - ten times more Sam-pyat - five times more Sam-Thursday - four times more Seredovich - a middle-aged man A scolded tablecloth - a tablecloth woven with patterns Conscience will not hurt - conscience does not bother Shrike, shrike - a bird from the order of passerines Student - a well with icy water Sousek - a chest in which flour or grain is stored Twist - twist, twist several strands into one a thread
- (lat. miraculum) an unusual event that is difficult to explain, contrary to the natural course of things and attributed by believers to the intervention of supernatural forces (God). According to the views of the Catholic church, a miracle does not violate the integrity... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia
Miracle, plural miracles, miracles and (colloquially rarely) miracles, miracles, cf. 1. In religious and mythological ideas, a phenomenon that contradicts the laws of nature and cannot be explained by them, but is possible due to the intervention of an otherworldly force. “Into miracles now,... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Freedom of God. Gilbert Chesterton A miracle is when God breaks his own records. Jean Giraudoux The miracle is only a nine-day miracle. English proverb Miracles are where they are believed, and the more they believe, the more often they happen. Denis Diderot Faith works wonders... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms
Wed. every phenomenon that we cannot explain according to the laws of nature known to us. All miracles are available to God. Christ showed miracles, healed with miracles. | Miracle, extraordinary thing or phenomenon, incident; unexpected and contrary to the foreseen possibility, barely... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
MIRACLE, ah, many. miracles, es, esam, cf. 1. In religious ideas: a phenomenon caused by the intervention of divine power, as well as something generally unprecedented. Complete the hour. Complete the hour. Hope for miracles (when there is no way out, there is no salvation). Part of miracles! ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
miracle- A MIRACLE, ah, cf (or a miracle in feathers, a miracle from the Kunstkamera, a mausoleum miracle, a miracle of Judo, a miracle of the world, etc.). Joking. appeal. Hey you miracle, come here... Dictionary of Russian argot
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1) in religious and mythological ideas, a supernatural phenomenon caused by the intervention of a divine, otherworldly force2)] (Translated) something amazing, surprising in its unusualness... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
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English miracle; German Wunder. 1. In religious and mythological beliefs, a supernatural phenomenon caused by the intervention of a divine, otherworldly force. 2. Something striking, outstanding, surprising in its unusualness. Antinazi.… … Encyclopedia of Sociology
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Currency:
Altyn
From Tatar Alty - six - an ancient Russian monetary unit.
Altyn - from the 17th century. - a coin consisting of six Moscow money.
Altyn - 3 kopecks (6 money).
Five-alty ruble - 15 kopecks (30 money).
Dime
- Russian ten-kopeck coin, issued since 1701.
Two hryvnia - 20 kopecks
Grosh
- a small copper coin in denomination of 2 kopecks, minted in Russia in the 17th century.
4 kopecks is two pennies.
Money (denga)
- a small copper coin of 1/2 kopeck, minted in Russia from 1849 to 1867.
Gold ruble
- monetary unit of Russia from 1897 to 1914. The gold content of the ruble was 0.774 g of pure gold.
Kopeck money
Kopek
- Russian monetary unit, from the 16th century. minted from silver, gold, copper. The name “kopeck” comes from the image on the reverse of the coin of a horseman with a spear.
Kopek
- since 1704, Russian copper small change, 1/100th of a ruble.
Poltina
Half a ruble
- Russian coin, 1/2 share of a ruble (50 kopecks). Since 1654, fifty kopecks have been minted from copper, since 1701 - from silver.
Polushka - 1/4 kopeck
Half a half - 1/8 kopeck.
The half-polushka (polpolushka) was minted only in 1700.
Ruble
- monetary unit of Russia. Regular minting of the silver ruble began in 1704. Copper and gold rubles were also minted. Since 1843, the ruble began to be issued in the form of a paper treasury note.
"Ancient Russian measures."
Currency:
Ruble = 2 half rubles
half = 50 kopecks
five-altyn = 15 kopecks
kryvennik = 10 kopecks
altyn = 3 kopecks
penny = 2 kopecks
2 money = 1/2 kopeck
half = 1/4 kopeck
In Ancient Rus', foreign silver coins and silver bars - hryvnias - were used.
If the product cost less than a hryvnia, it was cut in half - these halves were called TIN or Ruble.
Over time, the word TIN was not used, the word Ruble was used, but half a ruble was called half-tina, a quarter - half-half-tina.
On silver coins of 50 kopecks they wrote COIN POLE TINA.
THE ANCIENT NAME OF THE RUBLE IS TIN.
Auxiliary weights:
Pud = 40 pounds = 16.3804815 kg.
The steelyard is an ancient Russian unit of measurement of mass, which was part of the Russian system of measures and was used in the north of the Russian Empire and in Siberia. 1 steelyard = 1/16 pood or 1.022 kg.
Pound = 32 lots = 96 spools = 0.45359237 kg.
(1 kg = 2.2046 lbs).
Lot = 3 spools = 12.797 grams.
Spool = 96 shares = 4.26575417 g.
Share - the smallest old Russian unit of mass measurement
= 44.43 mg. = 0.04443 grams.
Auxiliary measures are long:
A mile is 7 versts or 7.4676 km.
Versta - 500 fathoms or 1,066.781 meters
Fathom = 1/500 verst = 3 arshins = 12 spans = 48 vershoks
Vershok = 1/48 fathoms = 1/16 arshin = 1/4 span = 1.75 inches = 4.445 cm = 44.45 mm. (Originally equal to the length of the main phalanx of the index finger).
Arshin = 1/3 fathoms = 4 spans = 16 vershok = 28 inches = 0.7112 m. On June 4, 1899, the “Regulations on Weights and Measures” arshin was legalized in Russia as the main measure of length.
Pyad = 1/12 fathoms = 1/4 arshin = 4 vershkas = 7 inches = exactly 17.78 cm. (From the old Russian word “metacarpus” - palm, hand).
Elbow is a unit of measurement of length that does not have a specific value and approximately corresponds to the distance from the elbow joint to the end of the extended middle finger.
Inch - in Russian and English systems of measures 1 inch = 10 lines (“big line”). The word inch was introduced into the Russian language by Peter I at the very beginning of the 18th century. Today, an inch is most often understood as an English inch, equal to 2.54 cm.
Foot - 12 inches = 304.8 mm.
Set expressions
You can hear it a mile away.
Seven miles is no detour for a mad dog.
Seven miles is not a suburb for my dear friend.
Versta Kolomenskaya.
Oblique fathoms in the shoulders.
Measure everyone to your own yardstick.
Swallow a yard.
Two inches from the pot.
One hundred pounds.
Seven spans in the forehead.
Small spool but precious.
Go by leaps and bounds.
Find out how much a pound is worth.
Not an inch of land (not to be given up).
A meticulous person.
Eat a peck of salt (with someone else).
Standard SI prefixes
(SI - "System International" - international system of metric units of measurement)
Multiple SI prefixes
101 m decameter dam
102 m hectometer um
103 m kilometer km
106 m megameter Mm
109 m gigameter Gm
1012 m terameter Tm
1015 m petameter PM
1018 m exameter Em
1021 m zettameter Zm
1024 m yottameter Im
SI prefixes
value name designation
10-1 g decigram dg
10-2 g centigrams g
10-3 g milligram mg
10-6 g microgram mcg
10-9 g nanogram ng
10-12 g picogram pg
10-15 g femtogram fg
10-18 g attograms ag
10-21 g zeptograms zg
10-24 g yoktogram ig
Archaisms
Archaisms are outdated names of objects and phenomena that have other, modern names
Armyak - type of clothing
vigil - wakefulness
timelessness - hard time
silent - timid
benevolence - goodwill
prosper - prosper
perishable - transitory
eloquent - pompous
indignation - rebellion
in vain - in vain
big - big
coming - coming
beef - cattle
messenger - sent
verb - word
herd - a herd of cattle.
threshing floor - a fenced plot of land on a peasant farm, intended for storing, threshing and other processing of grain grains
so that - so that
down - down, down
drogi (drozhgi) - a light four-wheeled open spring carriage for 1-2 people
if - if
belly - life
imprison - imprison
mirror - mirror
zipun (half-kaftan) - in the old days - outerwear for peasants. It is a collarless caftan made from coarse homemade cloth in bright colors with seams trimmed with contrasting cords.
from ancient times - from ancient times
eminent - tall
which - which, which
katsaveyka - Russian women's folk clothing in the form of an open short jacket, lined or trimmed with fur.
horse-drawn horse - a type of urban transport
sedition - treason
kuna - monetary unit
cheeks - cheeks
extortion - bribery
kissing - kiss
catcher - hunter
lyudin - person
honeyed - flattering
bribe - reward, payment
slander - denunciation
name - name
monastery - monastery
bed - bed
barn (ovn - oven) - an outbuilding in which sheaves were dried before threshing.
this one - the one mentioned above
revenge - revenge
finger - finger
pyroscaphe - steamship
arquebus - a type of firearm
death - death
destruction - death
obstacle - obstacle
gaping - open
military - combat
this - this
seduce - remove
poet - poet
smerd - peasant
battering ram - an ancient weapon for destroying fortress walls
thief
dungeon - prison
bargaining - market, bazaar
prepare - prepare
hope - hope
mouth - lips
child - child
expect - expect
dish - food
Yakhont - ruby
Yarilo - sun
yara - spring
Yarka - a young lamb born in the spring
spring bread - spring grains are sown in spring
Archaisms in proverbs and sayings:
Beat your head
To beat the backs - initially cut the log lengthwise into several parts - the block, round them from the outside and hollow them out from the inside. Spoons and other wooden utensils were made from such scaffolds - baclush. Preparing buckeyes, in contrast to making products from them, was considered an easy, simple matter that did not require special skills.
Hence the meaning - to do nothing, to idle, to spend time idly.
Here's to you, grandma, and St. George's Day!
The expression comes from the time of medieval Rus', when peasants had the right, having settled with the previous landowner, to move on to a new one.
According to the law issued by Ivan the Terrible, such a transition could occur only after the completion of agricultural work, and specifically a week before St. George’s Day (November 25, old style, when the day of the Great Martyr George, the patron saint of farmers, was celebrated) or a week later.
After the death of Ivan the Terrible, such a transition was prohibited and the peasants were secured to the land.
That’s when the expression “Here’s St. George’s Day for you, grandma,” was born as an expression of grief over changed circumstances, unexpectedly unfulfilled hopes, sudden changes for the worse.
St. George was popularly called Yegor, so at the same time the word “to cheat” arose, that is, to deceive, to deceive.
Upside down
1) somersault, over the head, upside down;
2) upside down, in complete disorder.
The word tormashki can go back to the verb to bother, i.e. “to fiddle with, turn over.” It is also assumed that tormashki comes from the dialect torma - “legs”.
According to another hypothesis, the word tormashki is related to the word brake (old tormas). Tormas used to be called iron strips under the runner of a sleigh, used to make the sleigh roll less.
The expression upside down could refer to a sled turned over on ice or snow.
There is no truth at the feet - an invitation to sit down.
There are several possible origins of this saying:
1) according to the first version, the combination is due to the fact that in the XV-XVIII centuries. in Rus', debtors were severely punished, beaten with iron rods on their bare legs, seeking repayment of the debt, i.e., “truth,” but such punishment could not force those who did not have money to repay the debt;
2) according to the second version, the combination arose due to the fact that the landowner, having discovered that something was missing, gathered the peasants and forced them to stand until the culprit was named;
3) the third version reveals a connection between the expression and pravezh (cruel punishment for non-payment of debts). If the debtor fled from the law, they said that there was no truth at his feet, that is, it was impossible to get out of the debt; With the abolition of the law, the meaning of the saying changed.
The rein (harness) has fallen under the tail - about someone who is in an unbalanced state, displays eccentricity, incomprehensible persistence.
Reins are straps for controlling a harnessed horse. The part of the horse's croup under the tail is not covered with hair. If the rein gets there, the horse, fearing tickling, may run away, break the cart, etc.
A person is compared to this behavior of a horse.
Wolf ticket (wolf passport)
In the 19th century, the name of a document that blocked access to the civil service, educational institution, etc. Today, the phraseological unit is used to mean a sharply negative characteristic of someone’s work.
The origin of this turnover is usually explained by the fact that the person who received such a document was not allowed to live in one place for more than 2-3 days and had to wander like a wolf.
In addition, in many combinations, wolf means “abnormal, inhuman, bestial,” which strengthens the contrast between the holder of the wolf card and other “normal” people.
Lies like a gray gelding
There are several options for the origin of phraseological units.
1. The word gelding comes from the Mongolian morin "horse". In historical monuments, the horse siv and gelding siv are very typical; the adjective sivy “light gray, gray-haired” shows the old age of the animal. The verb to lie had a different meaning in the past - “to talk nonsense, talk idle talk; chatter.” The gray gelding here is a stallion that has turned gray from long work, and figuratively - a man who is already talking from old age and talking annoying nonsense.
2. Gelding is a stallion, gray is old. The expression is explained by the usual boasting of old people about their strength, as if still preserved, like that of the young.
3. The turnover is associated with the attitude towards the gray horse as a stupid creature. Russian peasants avoided, for example, laying the first furrow on a gray gelding, because he was “lying” - he was wrong, laying it incorrectly.
Give oak - die
The phrase is associated with the verb zudubet - “to cool down, lose sensitivity, become hard.” An oak coffin has always been a sign of special honor for the deceased. Peter I introduced a tax on oak coffins as a luxury item.
Alive, smoking room!
The origin of the expression is associated with the game "Smoking Room", popular in the 18th century in Russia at gatherings on winter evenings. The players sat in a circle and passed a burning torch to each other, saying “Alive, alive, Smoking Room, not dead, thin legs, short soul...”. The loser was the one whose torch went out and began to smoke or smoke. Later this game was replaced by "Burn, burn clearly so that it does not go out."
Nick down
In the old days, almost the entire population in Russian villages was illiterate. To record the bread handed over to the landowner, the work performed, etc., so-called tags were used - wooden sticks up to a fathom long (2 meters), on which notches were made with a knife. The tags were split into two parts so that the marks were on both: one remained with the employer, the other with the performer. The calculation was made based on the number of notches. Hence the expression “notch on the nose,” meaning: remember well, take into account for the future.
Play spillikins
In the old days, the game of “spillikins” was common in Rus'. It consisted of using a small hook to pull out, without touching the others, one of the other piles of all the spillikins - all kinds of small toy things: hatchets, glasses, baskets, barrels. This is how not only children, but also adults spent time on long winter evenings.
Over time, the expression “playing spillikins” began to mean an empty pastime.
Latem cabbage soup to slurp
Lapti - wicker shoes made of bast (the subcortical layer of linden trees), covering only the feet - in Rus' were the only affordable footwear for poor peasants, and shchi - a type of cabbage soup - was their simplest and favorite food. Depending on the wealth of the family and the time of year, cabbage soup could be either green, that is, with sorrel, or sour - made from sauerkraut, with meat, or lean - without meat, which was eaten during fasting or in cases of extreme poverty.
About a person who could not earn enough to buy boots and more refined food, they said that he “slurps on cabbage soup,” that is, he lives in terrible poverty and ignorance.
Fawn
The word “fawn” comes from the German phrase “Ich liebe sie” (I love you). Seeing the insincerity in the frequent repetition of this “swan”, Russian people wittily formed from these German words the Russian word “fawn” - it means to curry favor, to flatter someone, to achieve someone’s favor or favor with flattery.
Fishing in troubled waters
Stunning has long been one of the prohibited methods of catching fish, especially during spawning. There is a well-known fable by the ancient Greek poet Aesop about a fisherman who muddied the water around his nets, driving blinded fish into them. Then the expression went beyond fishing and acquired a broader meaning - to take advantage of an unclear situation.
There is also a well-known proverb: “Before you catch a fish, you [need] to muddy the waters,” that is, “deliberately create confusion for profit.”
Small fry
The expression came from peasant everyday life. In the Russian northern lands, a plow is a peasant community of 3 to 60 households. And small fry called a very poor community, and then its poor inhabitants. Later, officials occupying a low position in the government structure also began to be called small fry.
The thief's hat is on fire
The expression goes back to an old joke about how a thief was found in the market.
After futile attempts to find the thief, people turned to the sorcerer for help; he shouted loudly: “Look! The thief’s hat is on fire!” And suddenly everyone saw how a man grabbed his hat. So the thief was discovered and convicted.
Lather your head
In the old days, a tsarist soldier served indefinitely - until death or complete disability. Since 1793, a 25-year period of military service was introduced. The landowner had the right to give his serfs as soldiers for misconduct. Since recruits (recruits) had their hair shaved off and were referred to as “shaved”, “shaved their forehead”, “soaped their head”, the expression “I’ll soap my head” became synonymous with threat in the mouths of the rulers. In a figurative sense, “soap your head” means: to give a severe reprimand, to strongly scold.
Neither fish nor fowl
In Western and Central Europe of the 16th century, a new movement appeared in Christianity - Protestantism (lat. “to protest, object”). Protestants, unlike Catholics, opposed the Pope, denied holy angels and monasticism, arguing that each person himself can turn to God. Their rituals were simple and inexpensive. There was a bitter struggle between Catholics and Protestants. Some of them, in accordance with Christian commandments, ate modest meat, others preferred lean fish. If a person did not join any movement, then he was contemptuously called “neither fish nor fowl.” Over time, they began to talk about a person who does not have a clearly defined position in life, who is not capable of active, independent actions.
There is no place to put samples - disapprovingly about a depraved woman.
An expression based on a comparison with a golden thing passing from one owner to another. Each new owner demanded that the product be checked by a jeweler and tested. When the product had been in many hands, there was no longer any room left for testing.
If we don't wash, we'll just ride
Before the invention of electricity, a heavy cast iron iron was heated over a fire and, until it cooled down, they ironed clothes with it. But this process was difficult and required a certain skill, so the linen was often “rolled”. To do this, washed and almost dried laundry was fixed on a special rolling pin - a round piece of wood similar to the one used to roll out dough nowadays. Then, using a ruble - a curved corrugated board with a handle - the rolling pin, along with the laundry wound onto it, was rolled along a wide flat board. At the same time, the fabric was stretched and straightened. Professional laundresses knew that well-rolled linen has a fresher appearance, even if the washing was not entirely successful.
This is how the expression “by washing, by rolling” appeared, that is, to achieve results in more than one way.
No fluff or feather - wishing you good luck in anything.
The expression was originally used as a “spell” designed to deceive evil spirits (this expression was used to admonish those going on a hunt; it was believed that with a direct wish for good luck one could “jinx” the prey).
The answer is “To hell!” should have further protected the hunter. To hell - this is not an expletive like “Go to hell!”, but a request to go to hell and tell him about it (so that the hunter does not get any fluff or feather). Then the unclean one will do the opposite, and what is needed will happen: the hunter will return “with down and feathers,” that is, with prey.
Let's beat swords into ploughshares
The expression goes back to the Old Testament, where it is said that “the time will come when the nations will beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight.”
In the Old Church Slavonic language, “ploughshare” is a tool for cultivating land, something like a plow. The dream of establishing universal peace is figuratively expressed in the sculpture of the Soviet sculptor E.V. Vuchetich, depicting a blacksmith forging a sword into a plow, which is installed in front of the UN building in New York.
Goof
Prosak is a drum with teeth in a machine, with the help of which wool was carded. Getting into trouble meant being maimed and losing an arm. To get into trouble is to get into trouble, into an awkward position.
Knock you down
Confuse, confuse.
Pantalik is a distorted version of Pantelik, a mountain in Attica (Greece) with a stalactite cave and grottoes in which it was easy to get lost.
Straw Widow
Among the Russians, Germans and a number of other peoples, a bundle of straw served as a symbol of a concluded agreement: marriage or purchase and sale. To break the straw meant to break the contract, to separate. There was also a custom of making the newlyweds’ bed on sheaves of rye. Wedding wreaths were also woven from straw flowers. A wreath (from the Sanskrit word “vene” - “bundle”, meaning a bundle of hair) was a symbol of marriage.
If the husband left somewhere for a long time, they said that the woman was left with nothing but straw, which is how the expression “straw widow” appeared.
Dance from the stove
The expression became popular thanks to the novel by the 19th century Russian writer V.A. Sleptsov "A Good Man". The main character of the novel, "non-employee nobleman" Sergei Terebenev, returns to Russia after long wanderings around Europe. He remembers how he was taught to dance as a child. Seryozha started all his movements from the stove, and if he made a mistake, the teacher told him: “Well, go to the stove, start over.” Terebenev realized that his life circle had closed: he started from the village, then Moscow, Europe, and, having reached the edge, he again returned to the village, to the stove.
Grated kalach
In Rus', kalach is wheat bread in the shape of a castle with a bow. Grated kalach was baked from hard kalach dough, which was kneaded and grated for a long time. This is where the proverb “Don’t grate, don’t crush, don’t make kalach” came from, which in a figurative sense means: “troubles teach a person.” And the words “grated kalach” have become popular - this is what they say about an experienced person who has seen a lot, who has “rubbed between people” a lot.
Pull the gimp
Gimp is a very thin, flattened, twisted gold or silver wire used for embroidery. Making gimp consists of pulling it out. This work, done manually, is tedious, monotonous and time-consuming. Therefore, the expression “pull the gimp” (or “spread the gimp”) in a figurative sense began to mean: to do something monotonous, tedious, causing an annoying loss of time.
In the middle of nowhere
In ancient times, clearings in dense forests were called kuligs. The pagans considered them bewitched. Later, people settled deep into the forest, looked for swarms, and settled there with their whole family. This is where the expression comes from: in the middle of nowhere, that is, very far away.
Too
In Slavic mythology, Chur or Shchur is the ancestor, ancestor, god of the hearth - the brownie.
Initially, “chur” meant: limit, border.
Hence the exclamation: “chur,” meaning a prohibition to touch something, to cross some line, beyond some limit (in spells against “evil spirits,” in games, etc.), a requirement to comply with some condition , agreement
From the word “too much” the word “too much” was born, meaning: to go beyond “too much”, to go beyond the limit. “Too much” means too much, too much, too much.
Sherochka with a masherochka
Until the 18th century, women were educated at home. In 1764, the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was opened in St. Petersburg at the Resurrection Smolny Convent. The daughters of nobles studied there from the ages of 6 to 18. The subjects of study were the law of God, the French language, arithmetic, drawing, history, geography, literature, dancing, music, various types of home economics, as well as subjects of “secular manners”. The usual address of college girls to each other was the French ma chere. From these French words came the Russian words “sherochka” and “masherochka”, which are currently used to name a couple consisting of two women.
Walk trump
In ancient Rus', boyars, unlike commoners, sewed a collar embroidered with silver, gold and pearls, which was called a trump card, to the collar of their ceremonial caftan. The trump card stuck out impressively, giving the boyars a proud posture. Walking as a trump card means walking is important, but trumping means showing off something.
