Modern schoolchildren, having met the word "food" in classical literature, will ask what it is. This lexical unit is almost completely out of use, still sometimes remaining in fairy tales and epics. So "food" - what is it anyway?
Definition and synonyms
Dishes in the old days were called food, a treat that brought people energy, gave them life. Now this word is considered obsolete. It has many synonyms, some of which have also been found only in written speech for a long time. Among them: poisonous, brushy, hasty, howl, hedgehog. There are more familiar options: food, food, dish, meal, edible, food. The most universal and stylistically neutral in this case will be the last word.
The meaning of the word "food", as a rule, still implies a gourmet treat, and not the usual everyday food. So, perhaps that is why this word is most often found in the description of feasts, weddings and other celebrations.
Spelling and orthoepy
When writing essays and dictations, it is quitean annoying mistake is often encountered - students insert the letter "v" after "i". Some people even pronounce the word this way. However, given the etymology of this word, it is easy to understand that there is no "in" at the beginning. But since this lexical unit does not have cognate words in modern Russian, this is not obvious.
By the way, food is the plural form. However, it is easy to guess that this is how this word is used most often. After all, "food" is just one delicious dish, and what kind of holiday is complete without a rich selection of dishes? Even the well-established expression "food on the table" - in the plural - indicates that the celebrations were held on a grand scale.
History of the term
It is believed that this word comes from the verb "eat" - to eat, which was transformed into the modern "eat". In some Slavic languages, lexical units related to the term "food" are still preserved, and, as a rule, all of them in one way or another relate to the process of eating.
However, in addition to the task of physical saturation, the process of eating should bring a certain pleasure from the taste of food. And, perhaps, "food" is a word that fully reflects the attitude of our ancestors to food.
Since the time of paganism, it was believed that a joint meal brought people closer to the point that they could consider each other relatives. The laws of hospitality allowed visitors who dined in the house tocount on almost any protection and any help from the owners. In return, the person himself, received so cordially, would no longer dare to harm the family. So the custom of offering bread and s alt to guests is literally a peace treaty between them and the hosts. Therefore, it was not customary to refuse treats, and it is still considered impolite.
Now the old laws of hospitality practically do not work, and magnificent feasts
practically no one suits. Food is available in abundance, and a reverent attitude towards it gradually disappears. Food is no longer a symbol of well-being, so old words are being replaced by others that reflect this new order.
Use in modern language
In the literature of our time, this word is practically not found, except in historical novels to convey the atmosphere and in fairy tales that adults still read to their children, as well as in proverbs and sayings. Now "food" is an obsolete term, replaced by more neutral words from the extensive list of synonyms mentioned earlier. But so far, he has not gone into oblivion. So, for example, this word was chosen to translate the title of the book by the French writer André Gide Nourritures terrestres (1897). So its official name in Russian is "Earthly dishes".
