Phraseology is a huge layer of the modern literary Russian language, containing countless expressions that amaze the imagination. And if a certain proportion of phraseological units is known to everyone and everyone, then some phrases really make you think. Here, for example, "the cornerstone" is a phraseological unit, the meaning of which is not very clear right away. Where did this expression come from and when should it be used, if at all? And what, in principle, is the tendency to use expressions of this style in modern colloquial language? Let's try to figure it out.
Where do we use it?
First of all, it should be noted that such a phrase is more inherent in a high literary style: you don’t hear it so often in everyday speech, perhaps that is why the meaning of the word “cornerstone” is not clear to everyone. In modern Russian, in principle, there is a tendency toreducing the use of phraseological units for the sake of simplifying the language, which, no doubt, is not very good. At the same time, this phraseological unit belongs to the so-called biblical ones, that is, for the first time this phrase is mentioned in the holy book of the Christian peoples, which leads to the presence of a similar expression in English, German, and other European languages. You can't do anything about borrowing. It is interesting that in the English language the word "fundamental" is already part of the phraseological unit itself, which immediately makes it clear its meaning, unlike the Russian language, where you still need to try to understand. Here it is, the "cornerstone" - a phraseological unit, the meaning of which is known to both Europeans and Slavs.
And yet? About synonyms
But let's get back to our sheep, more precisely, stones. So, "cornerstone". The meaning of a phraseological unit is synonymous with such a well-known and also not very clear phrase “at the forefront”. Both of these expressions go back to the biblical legend about the construction of the temple of God, during which this very stone, hewn from the rock, was placed in a corner to fasten the walls - roughly speaking, the “cornerstone” held the entire building on itself. The meaning of the phraseological unit is briefly - the basis, the main element. It was very difficult for the architects of those distant times to make this junction of walls and, according to legend, at first they rejected the cornerstone, which was not suitable as an element of the usual load-bearing wall of the cathedral. But right in the corner, in the most important place, the rejected stone is stillcame in handy.
A little more?
Some also associate this idiom with another biblical stone - a stumbling block, here, however, the meaning is already slightly different, with a slight negative connotation (an element that in any case becomes a kind of hindrance, an obstacle). Yes, it is noticeably different from what was said above. But, in principle, the "cornerstone" is a phraseological unit, the meaning of which is determined quite accurately, it would be more correct to say that the first meaning is still closer to the modern Russian language - the most important, fundamental.
Use
It is paradoxical that, despite the very long history of this phrase, it is far from easy to find examples of its use in the literature. But even those rare quotes where he is found, like "The spiritual continuity of generations is the cornerstone of progress and civilization." It sounds really very sublime and unusual for the ear of a simple man in the street. It is likely that this is why in colloquial speech the interlocutor will not really appreciate such a philological turn.
Summarizing
So, now let's summarize. “Cornerstone” is a phraseological unit, the meaning of which largely coincides with the expression “at the forefront”, in something close to “stumbling block”. In principle, if interpreted according to the Bible, then it can also be used as a designation of the image of Jesus Christ or the leader of the Jewish people as a whole. This is a symbol of the righteous, rejected by society.
But most often the interpretation associated with the foundation, fundamental principle, the main and primary element of something is used. Such an expression is more characteristic of a high literary style - examples of it are not so easy to find even in fiction, especially modern. Due to the tendency to simplify the language, the "keystone" is practically not found in colloquial speech - this may explain the fact that very few people correctly understand the meaning of this biblical expression, which has been part of the Russian language for so long.
