The fact that this is the west is taught in geography lessons, since this concept is associated with determining the cardinal points on the map. However, this lexeme includes other interpretations that are associated not only with science, but also with culture, and even with ideology. The fact that this is the West - in various interpretations, will be discussed in the article.
Dictionary interpretation
In the dictionary, the definition of west is as follows. This is one of the cardinal directions, which is opposite to the east and corresponds to the direction of the sunset. It is located on the left side of the observer, who is facing north.
Example: "A passer-by explained to travelers that they must first reach the intersection, which is located no more than two hundred meters west of the traffic police post."
But there is a second interpretation, listed in the dictionary.
Other meaning
The word "west" in the dictionary is also considered as a collective,denoting the capitalist countries that were to the west of the USSR, and today - from Russia. There was an economic and ideological confrontation between them and the USSR.
Example: "In the Soviet Union, some people dreamed of moving their families to the West, as life there, in their opinion, was more stable, comfortable and predictable."
Understanding that this is the West, acquaintance with the origin of the word will help.
Etymology
The origin of the studied word comes from the Proto-Slavic language, from which it got into Old Slavonic, and then into Old Russian, where it looked like “zapad”. Initially, it meant "sunset", as they said then, "falling". The latter is compared with the Latin occidēns in the same sense. Literally, west is the place where the sun goes down below the horizon. For the first time in Russian it is mentioned in sources dating back to the 11th century.
Thus, "west" is a noun derived from another noun - "fall", which comes from the verb "fall", meaning "set, roll over the horizon." This verb, in turn, is formed from the Proto-Slavic word "padati" (to fall) by adding a prefix - the prefix "for".
From the last formed, for example:
- Old Slavic - fall, fall;
- Russian - fall, fall;
- Ukrainian - to graze;
- Belarusian - passsi;
- Bulgarian - padna;
- Serbo-Croatian - fall, fall;
- Slovenian – pásti, pádem;
- Old Czech – pásti,padu;
- Czech – padat;
- Polish – paść;
- Upper Luga – padac;
- Lower Luga – padaś.
The word is cognate:
- Old Indian padyate - “falls, goes”;
- to the Avestan paiđyeiti – “comes, comes”; ava-pasti - "fall";
- North Indo-Iranian pasta - "fallen";
- Old High German gi-feʒʒan – “to fall”;
- Anglo-Saxon fetan - "to fall";
- Latin pessum - "to the ground, prostrate".
The West as a civilization
This is a special type of culture that historically originated in Western Europe. In recent centuries, it has undergone a process of social modernization. Western civilization is the successor of Greco-Roman. This is a historical fact. But it is not one of many other ancient civilizations, as it is the only one where science has flourished after a millennium gap.
The Western world includes a set of cultural, economic and political features that unite the countries of Europe and North America and distinguish them from other countries of the world. It also includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa, South Korea, Japan and others. During the Cold War with the Soviet Union, Western countries were understood to mean NATO countries and their allies. In politics, this term is still used today.
The issue of Russia's belonging to Western civilization today remains debatable. There are three opinions on this:
- According to the first (Westernism), Russia is part of the West,but it develops with a delay.
- Supporters of the second opinion, Slavophiles, believe that our country is the core of an independent, special civilization, which, on the one hand, is an offshoot of the Western one, and on the other, in many respects is not similar to it.
- Thirds argue that Russia stands at the crossroads of civilizations, combining their individual features that do not combine into anything integral and consistent.
