Many of us in our daily lives have heard the phrase “encore,” but few have guessed, knew, or thought about its origin and true meaning. Moreover, this expression has a certain, very deep meaning and an unambiguously interpreted origin.
Where did the encore come from and what?
The origin of this word, as well as many other words and constructions, we now owe to the dead language of antiquity - Latin. The fact is that “bi” in Latin meant a couple of objects, two things or just the number “two”. With the letter "c" at the end, it turned out the word, which translates as "second", doubles. It was in this meaning that at the end of the 18th century it migrated to the Russian language. Its spread was facilitated by the development of numerous theaters in the Russian Empire.
Due to the fashion trend, most of the performances were given in French, which is one of the key in the group of Romance languages that inherited the lexical structure of Latin. When the regulars of the theaters liked the performance, they accompanied the artist with applause. Moreover, if the performance was simply magnificent, the actors were called “for an encore,” that is, for the next portion of stormy applause. Actors, obeying the desire of the public, came out from behind the curtains a second, third and many other times.
The use of the encore design in Russian
After it became clear what “encore” means in the original language - Latin, we can talk about its applicability in Russian today. As a rule, this expression is commonly used in a theatrical environment. Chanting him, the audience, in a unanimous impulse, asks the artists to repeat the especially liked number, to perform a favorite song or just to leave the backstage in order to thank them with a standing ovation after the performance.
Now you know what “encore” means and where this expression is used.