In Russian, there is a colorful and figurative name for a man who cares for a woman and seeks her reciprocity. The meaning of the word "cavalier", however, is not limited to this context and has several other connotations. At the time of the knights, it was associated with courage, valor and certain services to the homeland, for which they were awarded the order. In general, the concept correlates with male images and characterizes them in certain contexts. Consider the subtleties of definitions in detail.
Meaning
There are three main meanings of the word "cavalier" - a fan, a partner in the dance and an employee presented for an award (order).
1. Fan. This is a man courting a woman, seeking mutual feelings or attention from her.
Example:
If a woman has many suitors, this is an indicator of her self-confidence and desire to please others.
2. Dance partner. The meaning is to some extent outdated for this context and is of a literary, artistic nature. However, it is also used for figurative speech in a dance environment.
Example:
The girl did not have time to sit down, the gentlemen invited her to dance one by one.
3. Knight of any order. The term was originally relevant for Western Europe, where this concept characterized titled aristocrats. In the days of tsarist Russia, it was also borrowed into the Russian language. Defines both women and men presented for awards or orders.
Example:
Chevaliers of the Order of Glory were first awarded in 1943.
Origin
The word "cavalier" was borrowed in the 16th century from the Polish language. It goes back to the German word kabalier or French cavalier. They, in turn, are derived from the Latin caballus. The latter in translation means "horse". From here, a clear development of connotation can be traced. There is a semantic chain: “horse, then “rider”, and we get “nobleman”.
Syntactic and morphological properties
"Cavalier" is a masculine noun, animated. Belongs to the second declension. It is characterized by the type of declension 1-a according to the classification of A. A. Zaliznyak. The root of the word: -cavalier-. When pronouncing, the stress falls on the last syllable: ka-va-ler.
Singular number:
| Name | cavalier |
| R. | cavalier |
| D. | cavalier |
| V. | cavalier |
| TV. | cavalier |
| Ex. | cavaliere |
Plural:
| Name | Cavaliers |
| R. | cavaliers |
| D. | cavaliers |
| V. | cavaliers |
| TV. | cavaliers |
| Ex. | cavaliers |
Synonyms
The basic meaning of the word "cavalier" is a man in various descriptive contexts. In this regard, you can pick up the following synonyms for him: partner, partner in the dance, admirer, boyfriend, admirer, admirer, knight, gentleman, caballero, chevalier.
Examples in which the word "cavalier" (the meaning is not lost) is replaced by synonyms:
- The partner took such a fast pace that he stepped on her foot very hard.
- She had many admirers when she was young.
- Suitors gave her expensive and memorable gifts that the girl could not accept due to her upbringing.
- The knight put his hand on his chest and thanked for the award submission.
- He treats like a real gentleman.
Phraseological units and set phrases
Stable expressions include the following:
- Gallant gentleman. Has an ironic meaning: dandy, ladies' man, amiable.
- George Cavalier. This is a military man who received the Order of St. George for his bravery.
- Andreevsky Cavalier. Like the above option, this is an employee presented for the award by the Order of St. Andrew.
- Enviable gentleman. Suitor of high rank or titledfan.
- Court Cavalier. Court rank during the Russian Empire. It included chamber junkers and chamberlains.
- There is no end to the Cavaliers. An expression describing the abundance of admirers in a girl or lady.
- Chevalier of Honor. This is the owner of any order or title for the qualities shown or for merit.
Most often the word is used in general vocabulary and fiction. Slang can be called the second most popular area of application. For many, the word is associated with British English and medieval novels. Also, “cavalier” (a synonym for “boyfriend” more correctly defines the context) can be found in legal vocabulary. The meaning is revealed as widely as possible surrounded by synonyms and set expressions. Helps to increase the figurativeness and expressiveness of speech.
