You can't always be in high spirits. Everyday duties, anxiety about loved ones and the future, banal fatigue gradually draw vitality out of a person. And at some point, others may notice: he suddenly became pale, haggard, downcast. This last concept raises the most questions among young people, because in modern Russian there are no obvious words with the same root to draw an analogy. So how did this definition come about?
Proto-Slavic etymology
One can say for sure: in a sense, "drooping" is a synonym for "lowered" or "bent down" (cf. Polish ponury, from nur- "lowered"). The word “dive” is also called related to it, when a person rapidly dives to a depth relative to his standard position.
Modern reading
The characterization is capacious and very eloquent. It is not surprising that over the many centuries of use, the adjective "downcast" has not changed its meaning at all. The basic interpretation during a conversation about a specific person breaks down into meanings:
- head bowed;
- shouldering limply;
- hunched back.
Some external manifestations of bad emotions, lack of strength are implied. A person has no motivation, and he does not hesitate to demonstrate it. Hence the second interpretation arises, from which it is easy to read the mood in actions and deeds:
- deprived of vigor;
- sad;
- dull;
- sullen.
You can look into the eyes of a colleague and see hopelessness there. If he is downcast, it means that he does not have the energy to work and even to simple chatter with friends.
The reason for this may be excessive workload and high demands of the authorities. It is not always about physical fatigue, although this also takes place. More often they suggest a deep psychological problem that affects the perception of the world and one's position in it. There is a partial convergence with the concept of "depressive", which in the XXI century has become more relevant and is used more often as associated with a medical term.
Everyday speech
How tactfully use this definition in relation to others? It is very bad if a friend walks downcast. This signals the need to spend time together, drink tea with a friend and discuss problems. We must work together to overcome difficulties.
However, the word only indicates a mental or physical state, while not being an insult, it has a neutral emotional connotation. In some cases it even meansgently sloping, downward-facing arrangement of natural features.
Choose the right context, skillfully work with the vocabulary, and talking with you will return the joy of life to the listeners!
