“Canalia” - the word is familiar to everyone who at least once watched the film “D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers” with Mikhail Boyarsky, who cursed so ridiculously: “A thousand devils! Oh you canalya! ” And thousands of people after the film began to actively use this incomprehensible word.
Sometimes we use or hear words without knowing their meaning, because sometimes you don’t understand whether they scold you or praise you. So, nevertheless, “canal” - what is it, where did the expression come from, and what does it really mean?
What does "canal" mean
Each word, like a person, has its own fate, a history of origin. Words also have a rich pedigree and “relatives”, but there are also “orphans”. Everyone has a nationality. He studies the history of vocabulary and the origin of various words - an etymology, the most interesting of sciences.
In the dictionaries of linguistic scientists S. I. Ozhegov, V. Dahl, D. N. Ushakov and Professor Lopatin, it is said about the “channel” that it is a swearing French word that can sound both for women and men. It means a crook, a scoundrel, a rogue and a slacker. "Canals" - a bunch of tricks. “Channel” (feminine) - abuse at the hindrance, wish for failure. "Kanalyushka" is also abusive, but not malicious, but rather affectionate.
Interestingly, according to the dictionaries of thieves' jargon, “canalia” in colloquial form means “beggar woman”.
Origin of the word
For the first time the word "canal" was found in 1710 by Shafirov.
In the dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language, A.N. Chudinov (1910) does not write the direct origin of the word. But it says about the “canal” that it can be derived from the Polish kanalia, and from the German kanaille (canalie), and from the French canaille, and from the Italian canaglia. The word is directly translated as "rabble", "villain", "pack of dogs" (from the Latin canis, which means "dog"). That is, this is an originally swear word addressed to a person who causes contempt, low spiritually, without honor and dignity.
The word "canalia" has a lot of synonyms, more used in our time, but not changing the meaning. Those who used to be called “canals” are now called scoundrels, scum, scum, scum, and other abusive words, which include a lot of obscene expressions. “There is no place to put the stigma” - also referred to as the “channel”.
Where is used
In the works of the great classics N. Gogol, A. Chekhov, M. Gorky and in the theaters where performances are performed on their works, one can often hear “canal”. And that this expression can convey not only anger, but admiration, for experienced theatergoers is not news.
Now, of course, you cannot hear this word at home or on the street as often as 100 years ago - it has long been outdated. The new generation comes up with its own words, including abusive ones. But the “canal” will not disappear in the abyss of history, it will live and be remembered by people as long as the works of classics, theatrical performances and films where it is used are alive. Jokingly or seriously, and now, in the 21st century, the word "canalia" can be heard in some places.