Prestidigitation - what is it? The origin and use of the word

In a popular Soviet tale "the barbarian beauty - a long plait" is mentioned an interesting word, "prestidigitation". And although there is an explanation "in their language, this is prestidigitate, and in our opinion, the sleight of foot and hypnosis", not always this obsolete term is used correctly and by appointment.

Prestidigitation - what is it?

It's an old word that was used quite a short time, signifies a magician. Most often this word was used in an old circus as a synonym to the word "manipulation". All magicians can be divided into two groups: magicians, working with special devices and equipment, and manipulators or of prestidigitation, performing tricks thanks to a well-developed manual dexterity.

Origin of the term "prestidigitation", the correct pronunciation

That word comes from the French "Preste" - "fast" and the Latin "digitus" - fingers. Although some sources indicate the origin is not from French, from Italian or Latin word "Presto," which also translates as "fast". That is to say that prestidigitation is a person who is fluent in not only the fingers but also the hands.

Not everyone will be able to pronounce the word the first time, and especially to do it correctly. In the right pronunciation, the accent is placed on the fifth, penultimate syllable - prestidigitation.

Given the complexity of the word, it is not surprising that it has not taken root in the Russian language and quickly came to conversation. No wonder the film's protagonist-tales admits that training in the overseas school he took two years and one month, of which two years, he learned to pronounce the word "prestidigitation", and a month to hypnosis.

Recommended

"Knowledge is light and ignorance is darkness": the value, meaning and alternatives

There are some sayings that would seem to need no explanation, such as “teaching & ndash; light and ignorance – darkness”. But some still do not understand their meaning. But not only for such people is written by our article. I...

What was invented by Mendeleev for the army. The history and fate of the invention

D. I. Mendeleev was a brilliant Russian scientist-polymath, who made many important discoveries in various fields of science and technology. Many people know that he is the author of “Fundamentals of chemistry" and the periodic law of chem...

The origin of the Slavs. The influence of different cultures

Slavs (under this name), according to some researchers, appeared in the story only in 6 century ad. However, the language of nationality bears the archaic features of the Indo-European community. This, in turn, suggests that the origin of the Slavs h...

Who used to call his prestidigitation?

As mentioned earlier, this word is used to refer to magicians who work with their hands reaching effects of the appearance, movement and disappearance of objects without the use of special equipment. For such tricks are used shawls, cards, balls, money, billiard balls and other relatively small objects. Thus the emphasis is not only on manual dexterity, but also to distract the viewer from the object with which the manipulations are performed.

In addition, in the adventure novel by Vsevolod Krestovsky "Petersburg slums" is described shulerskih specialty based on sleight of hand. As written in the novel, the most skilled gamblers called Dergachi and prestidigitation. There is some evidence that the term "prestidigitation" is also used to refer to card players, dishonest. Furthermore, the phrase "sleight of hand and no fraud" that became airborne after the release of the film "road to life", taken from the works of the German writer H. Heine's "Romantic school." It says the magician, Jantien Amsterdam, and in the original these words sound like "One, two, three! Speed – not the witchcraft", the translation of A. Kornfeld transformed into “No sorcery and only one sleight of hand”.

Where you can find the word "prestidigitation"

As mentioned above, many of us in the first, and perhaps and the last time I heard this term in the popular fairy tale "the barbarian beauty - a long plait". In addition, the word "prestidigitation" (which it is, you already know) can be found in many literary works:

• "Petersburg slums" V. Krestovsky;
• "Special" from the memoirs of P. A. Florensky;
• "Monday begins on Saturday" A. and B. Strugatsky;
• "Russian circus", Yu. a. Dmitriev;
• "gold book," I. Ilf, E. Petrov;
• "the Prestige", K. priest.

In our time can be found periodically in various articles of incriminating character of the term. Prestidigitation, as described in these materials, as a rule, according to the author, masterfully deceiving everyone around, and manipulate, as in a circus, not a specialist won't notice.

Gardeners may mistakenly use this word, believing that prestidigitation is a remedy for the Colorado potato beetle, wireworm and other pests. But it's not. Sprayer for potatoes "Prestidigitation" you will find you need a tool called "Prestigiatore".