Many definitions are perceived by different generations in a slightly different way. If older people give a characterization with the best of intentions, youth can use the same word with exactly the opposite meaning. One of the striking examples of metamorphosis is the "condo". Although initially the term was specialized, known only among masters working with wood, today everyone uses the concept to the best of his understanding. But what does it really mean?
Finnish roots
While rejecting the Swedish kada or “wood resin”, Vasmer focuses on the phonetic similarity with another foreign word. Konda, Conga is related to Finnish honka. It stands for mature pine with good, dense wood. Why is this choice made? Because kondovy is a description of high-quality wood, suitable for subsequent processing, the manufacture of expensive furniture. However, other interpretations are possible.
Proper use
If you do not want to confuse the interlocutor and accurately convey the idea, rely on the basic dictionary meanings. There are two of them that are relevant when speaking out:
- about a particular tree, as a description of a very dense and very strong wood with a minimum number of knots;
- about a group of such trees - a grove, a forest, etc.
The speaker implies the absence of rot, rot, insects. For specialists, “kondovy” means that working with the material will be easy and pleasant. What will affect the quality of products, their appearance and durability.
From tree to man
It is logical to transfer the epithet from wood to the furniture itself. Gradually, the characteristic of an ordinary table or cabinet began to be associated with something solid, durable. There is now an outdated allegorical interpretation that kondovy is conservative. And more precisely:
Over time, it was not so much about household items as about people. About the representatives of the merchants or the nobility, who adhered to traditions, and did not pursue momentary trends.
From good to bad
But progress can be cruel. Conservatives against the background of fashionable smarts and updated etiquette seemed rude, uncouth. So the modern figurative meaning appeared:
And now, if a person commits something outrageous, this is a condo character with appropriate manners. By analogy, a broad definition is given to obsolete, broken or ugly things.
Everyday communication
What to do with an adjective? If you are going to a carpentry workshop or planning to purchase a tree, feel free to include it in the lexicon! This will make it easier to find a common language with professionals. But the interlocutor to call in this way is no longer worth it. Let the word appear as a compliment on the pages of classical works, but in the conditions of the 21st century it is filled with negative connotation when it is not about wood.