Earlier in the Russian Empire, aristocrats were very fond of using foreign words in speech. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of them have survived to this day, and we continue to use them without thinking about their origin. There are even cases when people, not knowing the meaning of a word, freely use it in speech, giving it the wrong meaning. One of those words is "voila". What does this word mean and where did it come from - read below.
Origin
What does "voila" mean in its original meaning? This word is borrowed from the French language ("voilà") and is translated as "here, like this". Its similar form is "voici", but this word did not take root in Russia, since it has almost the same translation. "Voila" is an interjection used to alert the listener or viewer to an interesting twist in a speech.
This word was very popular in certain circles before the 1917 revolution. However, with the coming of the communists to power, the use of foreign words in Russian was strictly prohibited.
Meaning
Also "voila" means that a story has come to an end or is used when a result needs to be provided. For example, you tell a story from your life: "I saw Petya yesterday, he got so fat! Voila, this is what years without the gym lead to!"
Let's take another example, no less topical: a husband decided to make a gift to his wife and decided to give her a car (in honor of a promotion at work). He takes his unsuspecting wife out into the yard, asks her to close her eyes and, leading her to the car, says: "Open your eyes, voila!"
Circus and only
What does "voila" mean in "circus language"? Yes, the same! They just use it more often. In addition to "voila" in the circus, you can hear such French words as comme il faut, entre, alle-op, pas, plié, etc. The ballet also loves French words, so many of the names of the movements sound very French.
Most of all, magicians liked this word. It is very difficult to imagine an artist who does not use the word "voila" in his speech. The magician shouted with pleasure: "Voila", removing the veil from his hat and introducing the white rabbit to the public. Or, after ruthlessly cutting a box with an assistant inside with a saw, the artist with a smile presented a whole and lively beauty, triumphantly shouting his signature “voila”. Of course, this had a great effect on the motley and easilyan impressive audience in its time.
"Voila" is far from the only French borrowing in everyday life. It is worth mentioning the presence of such words as "bauvais ton", "promenade", "déjà vu", but that's another story.
