What is roulette? Two images (two associations) immediately appear in the head of a Russian person: a casino and a tool for measuring length. In this article we will analyze the etymology of this term and its lexical meaning. Consider the history of gambling called "roulette". We will also explore what Russian roulette is. At the end, we will select examples of the use of the word in context.
Etymology and vocabulary of the word "roulette"
This term is of foreign origin. The word "roulette" was formed in the 19th century from the French roulette. At that time, French was the second native language for the elite of Russian society, so two languages often interfered in speech.
In translation, roulette means "wheel". And without the diminutive suffix, there is the word roue - "wheel".
Explanatory dictionaries of S. I. Ozhegov, D. N. Ushakov, T. F. Efremova give three basic meanings of the word, "roulette". This is:
- Tool measuring length. It is a tape with strokes - a flexible ruler.
- Gambling in the casino.
- Metal engraving tool.
In V. Dahl's dictionary, "roulette" is originally a toy that looks like a circle with a recess along the edge, on which a thread (cord) with a reinforced end is wound. And then from a sharp movement on the cord, the tape measure moves up and down.
B. Dahl also suggests that the German word "rudder" is related to the word being studied. It is translated as "roll of tobacco, pipe" - here we see the meaning of a circle, mug, rink. The knuckle is also called specially prepared meat in the form of a round log.
That is, basically we see two meanings: a game of chance and a measuring tool - roulette.
Gamble
This idea originated in France. However, there is no exact information about when this happened. There is an opinion that it was invented by Blaise Pascal. He was a mathematician and was fond of the principles of chance - whether it exists or not. I thought about whether it is possible to logically calculate where the ball will fall on the wheel.
Playing roulette is considered gambling for money. It can be played in the casino. So, on the table, in addition to a spinning wheel with numbers and edges, there is a table with numbers. Before the game, everyone makes bets, that is, they put their chips on the number they like.
After that, the croupier (the one who leads the game) spins the wheel in one direction, and throws the ball in the other. As a result, the number on which the ball hit wins. Sobut there is a complex system for distributing bet winnings.
The rules of the game depend on the type of roulette game: French, European, American, card, letter and many others.
What is "Russian roulette"
Now this phrase is mostly figurative and denotes an unjustified and senseless risk of an idea.
For the first time Russian roulette as a deadly game was mentioned in an American magazine for the first time. It was described that Russian officers of the early 20th century liked to show their courage somewhere at the table in a tavern. Suddenly they took out a revolver, inserted one cartridge there and twisted the drum. And then they shot themselves in the temple. The chance of dying was one in five.
There are several legends about where this game came from. Perhaps the jailers, or drunken military men, had fun like that. It could have been a dispute, that is, a kind of duel, when two people took turns firing.
In any case, Russian roulette is a dangerous game based on the principle of probability. It is rather difficult to say unequivocally that it is inherent in Russians. After all, there is a risk of committing this suicide - a terrible sin for every believer.
Examples of using the word in context
To better imagine how this term works in speech, here are a few examples:
- Petya, please give me a tape measure, I need to make a window.
- They entered the casino and saw the wheel. This is a roulette wheel.
- Russianroulette is deadly, don't you dare play it sir!
Thus, we found out that the word "roulette" is a term for a game or an instrument. The word comes from the French roulette - wheel.
