Food is... the Etymology, semantics and the modern use of the word

Students who met in the classical literature, the word "food", ask what it is. This lexical unit almost completely out of use, sometimes staying in fairy tales and epics. So "food" - what is that?

Definition and synonyms

Dishes in the old days was called food, the food that was brought to people the energy that gave them life. Now that word is obsolete. It has many synonyms, some of which are too long found only in writing. Among them: adomi, found, primesnoi, howl, the hedgehog. There are more familiar options: edibles, food, dish, dish, edible, food. The most versatile and stylistically neutral in this case will have the last word.

The meaning of the word "food" usually still involves a delicious treat, not the usual everyday food. So perhaps that is why this word is more frequently seen in the description of feasts, weddings and other celebrations.

Spelling and orthoepy

When writing essays and dictations is quite common unfortunate mistake - students insert after "I" letter "in". Someone even says the word that way. However given the etymology of this word is easy to understand that there is no "in" in the beginning there. But since in the modern Russian language the same root words from this lexical item no, it is not obvious.

By the way, food is the plural form. However it is easy to guess that it is the word used most often. Because "pudding" is just one delicious dish, and what holiday is complete without a rich selection of dishes? Even well-established expression "food on the table" - in the plural - suggests that the celebrations were held on a Grand scale.

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History of the term

It is believed that the word is derived from the verb "yasti" is to eat, which was transformed into the modern "got." In some Slavic languages still preserved lexical unit akin to the term "dishes", and, as a rule, they are all somehow related to the feeding process.

However, apart from the physical saturation process of the meal should bring a certain pleasure from the taste of the food. And perhaps "food" is the word that fully reflects the attitude of our ancestors to food.

Since the pagan times it was believed that sharing a meal brought people to the extent that they could consider each other relatives. The laws of hospitality have allowed visitors, tobecause in the house, count on almost protection and assistance from the owners. In return, the man himself adopted such a welcome, already did not dare to cause the family harm. So custom designed to offer guests bread and salt, is literally a peace Treaty between them and the owners. Therefore, to refuse treats was not accepted, and still it is considered impolite.

Now the old laws of hospitality don't work, and lush banquets
almost no one is satisfied. The food is plentiful and reverent attitude towards it is gradually fading. The food is no longer a symbol of prosperity, so that the old words come others that reflect this new order.

Use of the modern language

In the literature of our time is the word hardly occurs, except in historical novels for the transmission of the atmosphere and in the tales that adults still read to their children, as well as in Proverbs and sayings. Now "food" is an obsolete term, which came to more than neutral words from the extensive list of the synonyms mentioned earlier. But before it goes into oblivion. For example, this word was chosen to translate the book of the French writer andré Gide Nourritures terrestres (1897). So her official name in Russian - "Viands of the earth".