The names of many well-known and revered professions still cause confusion in the minds of the majority. For example, who puts out the flames and saves people from the fire - a firefighter or a fireman? It's worth looking into
Meaning of the word "fireman"
It would seem that these two words do not have any differences. But to be sure, you should refer to the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. According to him, indeed, we can use "fireman" or "fireman" in the same sense, with the difference that the second option refers to colloquial vocabulary. There is no other difference. "Firefighter, fire brigade fighter" - this is the definition of this word. However, not everything is so simple.
Professional firefighters have something to say about this. They interpret the word in their own way. For them, a firefighter is an amateur, non-professional, a member of a volunteer squad. In the same way, invalids of supernumerary detachments are called. The explanatory dictionary of D. Ushakov confirms this meaning. Thus, the word "fireman" can even be considered insulting and insulting for a true master of his craft. Therefore, it should be used only in colloquial speech and only not beforereal fire extinguishers.
Meaning of the word "firefighter"
This term has several meanings. According to the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, the first meaning of the word "firefighter" is one that refers to the prevention and extinguishing of fires. This adjective has firmly entered our everyday speech. We often talk and hear in the news about the glorious deeds of the fire brigade, and we also know about all the benefits of installing fire systems.
The second meaning is that which refers to a flame that has engulfed some material object and is about to destroy it. Example: fire alarm. The third meaning is the most interesting for us in the course of studying the main issue of the article - an employee, a firefighter. This is how we call professionals in their field who, day after day, guard our safety and tranquility, the integrity of material property. As you can see, there is a difference between the words "fireman" and "fireman". And representatives of this profession prefer the first option.
"Fireman" as a neutral concept
It should be noted that this word refers not only to a profession. So you should study it outside the scope of the topic “How to say: fireman or firefighter?”. There are several other meanings. A firefighter is also one that refers to putting out a fire or preventing a fire. In what cases do we meet this word? When we see a fire hose, a fire safety plan or a memo of similar content in a room. Many more examples can be cited. We've all heard of the firefighterapplied sports, saw fire equipment, admired the courage of the fire brigade.
This word can have the opposite meaning. In this case, we are talking about what, on the contrary, causes fire. An adjective derived from the word "fire" characterizes a huge flame that has engulfed some territory or object. Often it is used in the reports of rescuers of the Ministry of Emergencies. They inform us about the high level of fire danger, declare a fire alarm. What are the lifeguards called? Fireman or firefighter? Through research, we found the answer to this question.
"Fireman" as a colloquial word
The correspondence of a person's speech to the literary framework is always highly valued. In addition, as we managed to note during the study of explanatory dictionaries, experienced fire fighters are often even offended by the colloquial word "fireman" used in relation to them.
It's no secret that we hear it from childhood, when we are told about respected professions in kindergarten and primary school. Let's remember this image. Red car. Loud siren. A crowd of people near a burning building. And certainly a hero-savior - a fireman. This word is so deeply rooted in our minds that it will not be so easy to accustom ourselves to the correct version, the literary norm. But there is a difference between a firefighter and a firefighter, and it should be considered. Perhaps the comparison will be rough, but it is unpleasant for fire extinguishers to hear the colloquial version, just like, for example, a teacher -"teacher" instead of "teacher" or to the policeman - "cop" instead of "policeman".
What is another name for firefighters?
Often, not knowing which word to choose or how to pronounce it correctly, we try to find a synonym. There are many beautiful paraphrases of the profession of a firefighter. Some of them are so poetic and metaphorical that they deserve special attention and a strong position in the vocabulary of each of us.
- Fire Tamer. It sounds very exciting, because the imagination immediately creates the image of a fighter with a powerful element. "Tame", according to the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, means "to make humble, to force to obey." What strength do you need to have for this! Making the fiery element obey - isn't this the plot for some oriental fairy tale?
- A man of fiery profession. The job of a firefighter is always flame and danger. An aura of mysterious romance surrounds this kind of activity, making its representatives real heroes in the society in which they live. Fire profession - how can you better describe the daily work of a firefighter? A colossal experience and an encounter with true danger - that's the difference between a pro and an amateur volunteer. This is the difference between a firefighter and a fireman. The love and respect of people for representatives of this profession is embedded in the paraphrases that we noted in this section.
How to say: fireman or fireman?
The answer to this question, the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, rests entirely on our shoulders, arguing thatboth words have the same meaning. The only difference is where you use them. In everyday communication at home and with colleagues at work, we can say "fireman", while implying a professional fire fighter. And everyone will correctly understand who is meant by this word. Written speech requires literary correspondence. Therefore, which option to choose - a fireman or a fireman - depends only on us. And yet it is always better to give preference to the first. It expresses our respect for the honorable profession, shows the level of Russian language proficiency. And the choice of which is right - a fireman or a fireman - will no longer be so acute.
Conclusion
During the study of this issue, we came to the conclusion that when saying "fireman" or "fireman", a person does not make a mistake. Only the second option is better to use only in colloquial speech.
Thus, the answer to the question of which is correct: a firefighter or a fireman, will depend on the specific situation and the person being described.
