In addition to ordinary terms, during the heyday of the aristocracy, the Russian language also borrowed many foreign concepts. In their own way, magnificent, elegant, and also used in relation to overseas guests from specific states. Since then, every Russian knows: "monsieur" is a greeting from France. But is it only? When did it originate and how was it originally used? After all, during a trip to Russia, the word acquired several new meanings.
Monarchy legacy
The original source is the Latin mon senior as the appeal "my elder" to a relative or a person higher in the hierarchy. The intermediate stage was French:
- messieurs;
- monsieur.
Only in the 16th century did "monsieur" officially sound in Paris. It was the closest relative of the king, his brother. By all means, seniority was taken into account, that is, the hypothetical possibility of ascending the throne in the event of the death of the monarch and in the absence of children-heirs. Also, as a title, the word migrated to the religious sphere, where Monsieur de Paris was the bishop of Paris. And in the revolutionary period there was a small substitution, and evil citizens began to jokingly call the executioner, the main arbiter at that timefate.
The practice of borrowing
What's in common with today's version? The historical interpretation implies that at first there were the court monsieur and madam - his wife. Over time, the titles have turned into polite addresses, analogues of traditional ones:
- Mr - Ms;
- sir - madame.
During the period of demand for French fashion, unexpected meanings appeared among the Russian aristocracy. So, in the framework of the outdated jargon, the speaker had in mind a synonym for the words "type, subject", pointing to suspicious personalities in an ironic manner. On a more official level:
- caretaker with a child, often from France;
- a teacher of the corresponding language at an institute or boarding school;
- fashion store owner.
Common name for many things familiar to the layman. And within the vernacular, everyone knew that “Frenchman” is “monsieur” and vice versa. In an attempt to ennoble reality, at least in words, definitions arose:
- owner of the house, owner of the estate;
- husband, spouse.
The first option was spoken by servants, mentioning the master, the second - by legal wives, trying to imitate foreign women.
Modern communication
Is it worth repeating the "feat" of ancestors? Perhaps in a joking manner, because now it is customary to address by name, without service prefixes. In extreme cases, use synonyms:
- sir;
- citizen;
- comrade.
But if you often travel abroad in French-speaking countries, now you won't get confused!
