When we are told "companions", it immediately conjures up thoughts of uncles in good suits who do common business. That is, people who are in the same company. Today we will interpret the noun and find out if it is doing so badly.
Very little origin and meaning
It's not that we are against business and successful people (by the way, this is a tracing paper from English). But lately, a lot, if not all, comes down to business and who earns and how much. Such an approach does not give rise to any more feelings, except for boredom. And the prevalence of finance issues over all the rest is starting to become boring. Therefore, we want to understand whether the meaning of the word "companion" has any other meaning. As the reader guessed, in order to solve the problem, you need to open an explanatory dictionary:
- A person who does something together with someone is included in the company (in the first meaning).
- Member of the company (in the second meaning).
As we can see, without deciphering what a company is, we cannot do without it. But first, let's say just a few words about the origin of the "companion". Characteristic spelling speaks of Frenchroots. And this guess is correct. True, it is not entirely clear when the borrowing took place: the dictionary does not indicate the exact date. And the meanings then and now are the same: a companion is “doing business with someone.”
Company Value
Let's first turn to the explanatory dictionary again, and then think about what unites at first glance two such different meanings of the word "company":
- Society, a group of people who spend time together.
- Trade or industrial enterprise, trade and industrial association of entrepreneurs.
What do the two values have in common? Perhaps, ideally, both companies should be managed solely by common interests. From some point of view, this is probably what happens, but when it comes to a company of friends or like-minded people in which a person spends time, the main driver is the inner desire of the person himself to spend time with these people. When it comes to a company as a business project, then economic reasons come into play, and desires go into the shadows. Simply put, a person needs money, but he does not choose a work team - he has to adapt as the play progresses.
Common between the meanings of the noun "company" is also the fact that they have the same ideal - a gathering of like-minded people. What company owner would refuse to have only fans of his business working for him? At the same time, no company of friends would refuse to include good, nice, highly moral people or, conversely, bad, vile and immoral people. The main thing is that the company should be united,so that her "ships sail in the same direction."
And both senses, of course, are united by the word "companion". And there, and there is a member of the group.
Synonyms
The reader has probably already forgotten that we are analyzing not a “company”, but a “companion”. Therefore, it's time to return to our main topic and see what synonyms the noun has:
- partner;
- comrade;
- colleague.
- friend;
- buddy;
- satellite.
There are, of course, other synonyms, especially if you show some ingenuity, but let's dwell on the selected options. As we can see, the word is positively colored with us, like all its synonyms. Then we move on to the most interesting.
Between a human and a dog (or cat)
Remember, at the very beginning we said that a companion is not only a person, but also a dog or a cat. True, in the usual sense, a person cannot be taken as a pet: the centuries of slavery have long passed. But you can find a friend or girlfriend and spend time with them. Despite the fact that the 19th century is long gone, many majestic matrons have confidantes to keep them from being bored.
The reader is probably thinking: "Well, comrades, get down to business!". Okay, he's right, as always. The question is who to choose a dog or a person as a companion. Our answer: of course, a dog, a cat or a fish - in a word, an animal. Because even from the best friend, if he is with you all the time, you can get tired, but withthis is not observed by pets.
By the way, in America, where political correctness is gaining new momentum (although this is quite old information), it is now customary to talk about pets only as companions, and rightly so. It is believed that another treatment humiliates animal dignity. What do you name your pets? Does your appeal to a furry family member destroy his self-esteem? Think about it at your leisure, and how varied the meaning of the word "companion" is.
