The word "import" and its derivatives are used quite often in Russian. But do we always understand their meaning well? What does "import" mean?
About the meaning of the word
A Soviet person, when asked about the meaning of the word "import", would answer without hesitation: "Foreign junk." Accordingly, to import is to supply to the USSR things produced outside the country. In conditions of total shortages, foreign-made goods remained one of the few options for Soviet people to improve their modest life. Therefore, the people greatly appreciated the opportunity to get imports. Foreign goods were attributed special properties that were far from always inherent in them.
By the way, the popular interpretation was quite consistent with the definition of other sources, who understood the import of foreign goods into the territory of the state, which are not subsequently exported back. But such an explanation cannot be considered exhaustive.
On the origin of the word
The word "import" comes from the Latin importo. Import - it really means "import" or"enter". And here there is a certain ambiguity: after all, import can be done in different ways. In what cases is it appropriate to speak of imports? It is important to clarify those dictionaries where we are talking not just about the entry of goods into the country from abroad, but about their importation into the customs territory of the state. That is, a sweater or jeans bought by a Russian tourist during a vacation in Turkey, or a foreigner's personal belongings, which he then takes back, will not be called imports. To import is to engage in purposeful foreign trade activities in accordance with the legislation of your country (including customs). These activities are based on economic and political state interests.
What can be imported
What foreign-made goods and in what quantity to import into the country is a matter of state strategy, supported by the relevant legislative framework. By the way, not only material values fall under the concept of import. Works, services, intellectual products can also become the subject of foreign trade, which is also regulated by law.
It must be said that since the times of the USSR, significant changes have taken place in the structure of imported goods and in its quantities. A Soviet person, if he suddenly found himself in a modern store, would be amazed at the abundance and variety of once coveted foreign things. What is Russia currently importing? Yes, whatever! Food and light industry products,scientific technology and modern equipment, machinery and more. True, the import-export structure can hardly be called balanced, but that's another story.
About some political terms
Those who have studied communist literature will probably remember this wording: imported Marxism. We are talking about a political doctrine that was not born in Russia, but came here from other countries. For a modern person, the arguments of historians about how the ideas of Marx, developed in Europe, conquered the Russian expanses and inspired local minds, are unlikely to be important. But the very practice of using the word "import" and its derivatives to describe political and economic phenomena may seem interesting.
Something about inflation
"Imported inflation" is a relatively new term. But its essence is the same as in the previous cases: something is brought to us from outside. What's in our area this time?
Inflation (from the Latin Inflatio - "swelling") is a steady rise in prices for goods and services, as a result of which the purchasing power of the local currency becomes lower. That is, as a result of some internal cataclysms, money depreciates, and a person can buy less goods today for a certain fixed amount than he could buy yesterday. Inflation is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon, and it is doubly insulting if its causes lie outside the country. For example, as a result of the rising cost of imported raw materials, prices for dependent localproducts. Sometimes imported inflation can be the result of complex financial relationships of the national currency with the currencies of other states.
Import as a technical term
The use of computer technology has given the word "import" a new meaning. With the development of digital technologies, there is a need to share data from different sources. Adding (inserting) external information into the current document, file, database is commonly called an import. The current information space, suddenly deprived of the opportunity to draw data from outside, is already impossible to imagine. Microsoft was one of the first to provide information exchange between its applications, and not only. So, working in the Microsoft Word text editor, it is easy to supplement the text with “foreign” pictures and tables. Importing data into a Microsoft Access database is possible using information from Microsoft Excel, etc.
It's hard to even imagine all the possible conveniences that the prospect of using information from other people's databases opens up for those working at a computer. This, of course, is not about espionage. Imagine an ordinary online store selling household appliances. The store cooperates with the owners of the goods, and it is important that each change in the supplier database is followed by a corresponding adjustment of the store information (for example, the presence or absence of a certain product). Therefore, a service is needed to keep the online store database up to date. This servicein turn, based on the ability to import supplier data into customer information files.
What is "import photo"?
The current computer user is pretty spoiled. Texts and numbers are no longer enough for him - he longs for new services, more diverse and colorful information. One of these features is the import of photos. What does this mean?
For digital cameras (cameras), a photograph is just a file that can be processed in one way or another (it all depends on the functionality of the camera). But the most interesting thing is to work with photography directly on the computer. To import is to move or copy a file there, which is achieved through technical manipulations (both devices are connected) and software (the ability to import is provided for both the computer and the camera). That's all! Further, the imported image can simply be stored, but it can also be processed using some kind of computer program (for example, Adobe Photoshop). This exchange of information between different devices makes their possibilities truly limitless. After computer processing, an ordinary photo can become a work of art. But the computer text, illustrated with the necessary photo, immediately adds in its significance and value.
The ability to import photos allows you to save your favorite photos, create themed photo albums, share pictures with friends, etc. You can import files not only from the camera, but also from memory cards, scanners, and other devices. In addition to photos, they import texts, music, clips. The combination of different methods of data exchange allows you to create unique multimedia projects, and simply enjoy your work at the computer.
About bookmarks
A bookmark was once called a device (usually a strip or string), with which the desired page in a book was marked. The meaning of this word has not changed much in our days: bookmarks are the ability to select (lay down) your favorite Internet sites in order to navigate to them in the easiest way. When changing a computer or Internet access program, and sometimes when changing software, there is a considerable chance of losing the addresses of selected sites - all the more so, each browser organizes bookmarking in its own way. But in many cases, the ability to import bookmarks (that is, save them in a certain way and then put them back into use) will help solve the problem. How to implement this technically is decided separately in each case, but the convenience of this service is difficult to overestimate.
Conclusion
Data is being exchanged everywhere now. Files and databases are imported, e-mail contacts and bookmarks of individual social networks are imported. The concept of "import" is now applicable even to the address books of mobile phones. And, perhaps, tomorrow we will hear about some new meaning of this interesting and multifunctional word.
