Almost all people in the world love different trinkets. And if the little things arrived or arrived from another country, then in this case they have no price. Here we will not analyze the predilection of a person for things that mean nothing. Let's talk about what a souvenir is. This is our topic today. We will analyze the meaning, synonyms, give examples and even show a photo.
Meaning
This time the dictionary cannot please us with an abundance of values and gives only two options:
- A keepsake.
- Artwork, a thing as a memory of visiting a country, some place.
We have no doubt that the meaning of the term "souvenir" has reached the reader. This, however, does not negate the need to give an intelligible example that will consolidate success.
Everyone knows that in England there is the famous Big Ben - this is one of the symbols of Foggy Albion. Imagine, a person walked around London, maybe went on several excursions, but now it's time to say goodbye to the hospitable home of stiff Europeans andto go back to his native Russia.
The average tourist will not ask himself: "What is a souvenir?" This is a waste of time. He will immediately go to the appropriate store, which specializes in pleasing foreigners with various pleasant things, and buy himself a miniature copy of Big Ben to remember the trip on dark winter evenings.
In France, the Eiffel Tower will be such a souvenir (of course, its smaller copy - the whole symbol of Paris will not be given to anyone), of course, if a person has ended up in the capital of Victor Hugo's homeland. And we invite the reader to continue the series. I'm sure he'll do just fine.
Synonyms
We have revealed the meaning of the object of study, and we are no longer concerned with the question of what a souvenir is. This is already clear. The next step is to figure out the words and phrases that could replace it.
Since the essence behind the definition is quite complex, there are few synonyms. Here they are:
- gift;
- a keepsake;
- commemoration (obsolete).
This time the catch is not rich. But it's nothing. Let's dwell on one of the synonyms in particular.
A souvenir is not just a gift
Yes, we ourselves pointed out the synonymy of the concepts of "souvenir" and "gift". Of course, we are not going to refuse our words, but we must understand that an ordinary gift, say, for a birthday, is not a souvenir.
A gift even for an anniversary or an ordinary holiday can not really do anythingto mean. That is, of course, he is beautiful, wonderful, and the person who gave him is gold, but he does not have any important associations for a person. Indeed, in order to understand the meaning of the word “souvenir”, you need to know its history, and what kind of history can a juicer or a hair dryer have? Now, if a person took a hair dryer from a hotel in London or Moscow, where he spent unforgettable days … Of course, the reader will never do this, this is just an example.
If we round off the conversation about a gift and a souvenir, then let's say: a gift can be a souvenir, but the first one must have a certain story that is important for the person accepting this present. We hope the meaning of the word "souvenir" is already clear.
Spartak's recent championship and non-trivial "pleasant little things"
There is a stable association: a souvenir means abroad. In general, the object of our today's research is connected with strong, almost indestructible ties with travel to other countries, but this is by no means always the case. Sometimes a souvenir reminds us of an event that happened on the land of our parents, grandparents. Let's say more: sometimes a keepsake can remind you of a person - this is for those who know how to part peacefully.
What does football have to do with it? Recently, Spartak celebrated the championship at the home stadium. Recall that the "red-white" did not win the championship for a long 16 years. Therefore, their fans are now, may the reader forgive us this word, in ecstasy. After the match with Terek in the 29th round of the Russian Championship, the organizers decided to do something nice and let the fans on the field so that they and the team could celebrate the long-awaited success. The fans' heads were spinning from the surging emotions, and they dismantled for souvenirs not only the net of the gate, as was usually done in Europe in the 90s, but also the gate itself. We will not attach photos of "souvenirs", we will manage with traditional gifts from abroad. Our reader will not be surprised by the gate!
This is all to the fact that it is not necessary to travel outside the country to get hold of souvenirs. The main thing is the right moment, and history as well. The fans seem to be sure that their club's championship is a rare, almost blue bird, and may never happen again. It is necessary that "Spartak" take first place 5 or 6 times, preferably in a row, and then the fans of the "people's team" will calm down, and the club's property will be safe and sound.
How to choose the right souvenir?
We must remember that a keepsake is a mixture of banality and originality. Banalities - because a person usually brings something symbolic from a voyage, which is done for tourists for import, and original - because a souvenir is a rarity in the traveler's country. For example, how many people in Russia have a smaller copy of Big Ben straight from London? Same thing.
Therefore, when choosing a keepsake, you should remember the golden mean between beatenness and shocking. If this is a foreign pleasant trifle, then you need to choose it so that it has a national flavor, as in our nesting dolls. You should not bring something so indistinguishable and anonymous from another country - consumer goods. The thing should proudly bear the title of "Souvenir". The meaning of the word wealready taken apart.
